Water UK

The Environment Agency has published 2024 annual storm overflow spill data for England. While the results are disappointing, we are starting to see the effect of investment with many companies reducing spills in their area. Read our statement: https://lnkd.in/eKkftz9G

Was delighted to speak yesterday at Enterprise Ireland's event on what the next five years might have in store for the supply chain. It also made a nice change not being the only Irish accent on stage 😊 Thanks to Sheila O'Loughlin, Lee Horrocks BSc, MBA, CEng, FCIWEM, FIoW, FRSA and the wider Enterprise Ireland UK team for having me. #WaterUK

Yesterday our Head of Rivers and Seas Leila Swan spoke at British Water's Creating a More Sustainable Water Sector Conference 2025. In her presentation, Leila explained how our world-first National Storm Overflow Hub provides data on every storm overflow in England, along with details of the 9,000 improvements to be made over the next 25 years.    As part of the biggest ever investment in the water and sewage system, companies are poised to invest the largest amount of money ever on the natural environment - including more than £11 billion to almost halve spills from storm overflows by 2030.

Our latest blog looks at the National Storm Overflow Hub three months on from its launch. No other country in the world makes available to the public when, where and for how long a storm overflow has been active in near real time. The Hub has been viewed almost 15,000 times but thousands more are accessing this data daily via other maps. As it is fully open source, activists, campaigners, charities and academics can access and use the data for their own purposes. This data not only informs people but also helps water companies to direct investment to where it is most needed. A record £104 billion will be invested over the next five years to support economic growth, secure our water supplies and end sewage entering our rivers and seas. Read the blog: https://brnw.ch/21wQXeD

The water sector offers a vast range of apprenticeship opportunities, from engineering and technical operations to finance and human resources. This Friday (14 February), Energy & Utility Skills is hosting a free webinar. Register using the link below to hear from current water apprentices and ask them questions about their role in the sector. https://brnw.ch/21wQAPG #NAW2025 #SkillsForLife #apprenticeships

"There really is something for everybody in the water sector. There are so many roles I would never have known existed prior to my apprenticeship." Saffron, South West Water The variety of roles on offer makes the water industry appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds.   £104 billion will be invested in the water industry over the next five years, which includes the creation of up to 4,000 new apprenticeships and 30,000 new jobs - a 50% increase in the workforce. Hear from current apprentices about what it's like to work in the water sector and why it’s so rewarding: https://lnkd.in/eam-TDSQ #NAW25 #apprenticeships #careers #education

Water companies have announced that more than 3 million households will receive support worth £4.1 bn over the next 5-year. The latest blog by our Chief Economist Jeevan Jones provides new details on that affordability package. The majority of this financial support is due to be provided through reduced charges, but other forms of financial support will be available, such as payment matching and debt forgiveness. However, while water companies are going as far as they can under the current rules, reform could enable further support. Under existing legislation and regulation, water companies can only fund social tariffs from their existing customer base – and their customers must be willing and able to pay. This limits the amount of support that can be made available in regions with relatively higher levels of deprivation.   Read more: https://lnkd.in/ebM_G__H

Would you like to join my team at Water UK? It's a fascinating and fast-moving place to work. With ever more intense political scrutiny, major reform under consideration and the industry poised to make record investments, there is no better time to get involved. The process will be simple and we're looking to hire quickly. Please get in touch if you (or anyone you know) is interested and wants to chat.

Customer water bills will rise by about £10 a month from April 2025. While we urgently need investment in our water and sewage infrastructure, we know that for many this increase will be difficult. This is why water companies are more than doubling the level of financial support for customers with £4.1 billion to be made available over the next five years. At the same time, water companies will invest a record £20 billion in 2025-26 – the highest amount ever in a single year and more than double last year – to support economic growth, build more homes, secure our water supplies and end sewage entering our rivers and seas. Following this increase, water bills are now only around 5% higher than they were in 2010 in real terms. Customers will now pay an average of £1.65 a day for drinking water that is consistently ranked as equal highest quality in the world. Read more: https://lnkd.in/exRxxutD #waterbills 

We're #hiring two Senior Policy Managers! Please share this post with your network. Joining Water UK provides the chance to develop ideas that are radical but progressive, and design the strategies needed to have them adopted by decision-makers. If you are excited about making a real difference on a subject that touches the lives of everyone in the country, we'd love to hear from you.