Coventry, 10 November 2025: UK Water Minister Emma Hardy MP delivered the keynote address at the British Water Annual Conference in Coventry, focusing on reform, collaboration, and resilience within the UK’s water sector. The event, themed “Better Together,” brought together industry leaders, regulators, and innovators from across the country.
Sector Collaboration and Innovation
Commending British Water and Severn Trent for their leadership, Emma Hardy praised the company’s environmental achievements, including maintaining a four-star Environment Agency rating for six consecutive years. She emphasised that the sector’s strength lies in collective effort rather than individual accomplishments.
Highlighting successful innovations, Hardy spoke about Northumbrian Water’s “Pipebot Patrol,” a robotic sewer-cleaning initiative developed in partnership with the University of Sheffield. She also mentioned advancements such as converting fatbergs into biofuel and the growing use of nature-based solutions for water resilience.
Need for Reform and Investment
Addressing long-standing challenges, the Minister noted that inconsistent regulation, underinvestment, and poor strategic direction have hindered the water sector’s progress. She outlined the government’s plan to attract significant private capital to deliver the next regulatory period (PR24), which aims to strengthen market confidence and ensure long-term stability.
Since Ofwat’s final determinations for PR24, more than £2 billion in new equity has been raised, indicating investor confidence in the sector. Hardy reaffirmed that future regulation would be “stable, predictable, and fair,” ensuring financial resilience and investor trust.
Customer Protection and Regulation Strengthening
The Minister highlighted measures to improve customer protection and service delivery. Initiatives include a new water ombudsman with legal authority to handle disputes, updates to the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, and reforms to the WaterSure scheme to improve affordability.
She noted that the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 provides regulators, particularly the Environment Agency, with the strongest enforcement powers in over a decade, including new cost recovery powers ensuring that companies, not taxpayers, bear enforcement costs.
Long-Term Planning and the Water Reform Bill
Hardy announced that the government will introduce a Water Reform Bill to establish a single, powerful regulator combining the roles of Ofwat, the Environment Agency, Natural England, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. This legislative reform, supported by a forthcoming White Paper, aims to create a more coherent and outcome-focused regulatory system.
Until the new body is established, existing regulators will continue under enhanced powers. Early steps will include joint enforcement and coordinated regulatory efforts to streamline oversight and delivery.
Infrastructure, Sustainability, and Future Growth
Between 2025 and 2030, water companies plan significant infrastructure investments, including nine new reservoirs, eight desalination plants, seven recycling projects, and multiple inter-regional water transfer schemes worth approximately £8 billion.
The government’s Water Delivery Taskforce is also unlocking housing and infrastructure growth. Hardy cited that new abstraction and efficiency standards have enabled 21,000 new homes in North Sussex. She reaffirmed the government’s statutory target to reduce per-person water use by 20% by 2038 and leakage by 17% between 2025 and 2030, supported by £2.4 billion in efficiency and smart metering investments.
Safety, Accountability, and Public Confidence
Addressing concerns about recent incidents involving threats to water sector staff, Hardy condemned such behaviour, reiterating that “safety is not negotiable.” The government is collaborating with trade unions and company leadership to ensure a culture of respect and protection for all employees.
Concluding her address, Hardy urged the sector to embrace ambition, collaboration, and accountability. She stated that the ultimate goal is to rebuild public trust through tangible outcomes such as cleaner rivers, fairer bills, and better service quality.
“Together, we can deliver a future we can all be proud of,”
Hardy said, closing her address to applause at the British Water Conference 2025.