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Publications

A revision of the Water Framework Directive

The water industry has begun to think about what it would like to see from a revision of the Water Framework Directive.

Publications

BIS Consultation on ADR for Consumers

The water industry in England and Wales is currently working to put in place a new Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service.

Publications

Tapping into growth: economic impact report

'Tapping into growth: economic impact of the water and sewerage sector in the UK', written for Water UK by Deloitte LLP, sets out the water industry is supporting jobs, services, infrastructure and overall growth in the UK.

News

The Water Act: customers and environment

The water industry is ready to take forward the measures in the new Water Act which will bring long-term benefits to customers and the environment.

Publications

Pharmaceutical residues in drinking water

Water UK supports the need for further research on both the occurrence of pharmaceutical residues in the environment and their removal in both wastewater and drinking water treatment. By establishing a robust scientific evidence base additional regulations could be considered.

News

Non-flushable wipes and other products

Baby wipes, cleaning wipes and other non-flushable products can block sewers and cost customers and water and sewerage companies millions of pounds a year in cleaning and repairs.

News

International focus on water governance, benchmarks and indicators

There is a growing international focus on governance, indicators and benchmarking in the water sector, both globally and in the EU. There appears to be a belief among regulators and water practitioners globally that while there are plenty of measures of outputs, such as environmental indicators, perhaps more can be done to measure how efficiently the services are delivered.

News

Retail exit measure in the Water Bill

The Water Bill has completed its progress through Parliament and will soon become the Water Act. A government amendment was introduced in the House of Lords to provide incumbent water companies with a mechanism to exit the non-household retail market, subject to the consent of the Secretary of State.

News

Stricter standards for bathing waters

The UK bathing season starts this month and runs until the end of September. For 2014, monitoring data will be assessed using the standards set in the current bathing water directive. This is the last season these standards will be used. From 2015, bathing water quality will be assessed using new, stricter standards.

News

Removing barriers to water re-use

Water re-use systems can use rainwater, or treated water from washing, reducing per capita consumption by up to half. However, even developers of environmentally friendly housing schemes say few homebuyers want to install water re-use systems.

News

Abstraction licence reform - more work ahead

The Government’s consultation on abstraction licence reform was a useful first step but more work is needed with Defra officials and other key stakeholders to fully understand the impacts of the proposals.

News

Monitoring of shale gas operations

The need for monitoring of aspects of shale gas extraction, such as the integrity of the wells and the treatment of water once it has been used for fracking, will be crucial for effective and safe operations.

News

Managing through drought: guidance on water restrictions

The winter of 2014 was the wettest on record, and as whole areas were flooded the capacity of drains and sewers was overwhelmed. But it is important to remember that the floods came a year after two consecutive years of drought. Water, like many other sectors, faces a huge challenge to adapt to these impacts of climate change.

Publications

Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Assessment

Water UK response to Department for Energy and Climate Change consultation

Publications

Abstraction reform - response to Defra consultation

Water UK response to Defra consultation 'Making the Most of Every Drop - Consultation on Reforming the Water Abstraction Management System'.

News

Early days for water re-use schemes

Water re-use technology has been used in sustainable housing developments for some years but has not been adopted more widely. Water UK, along with Defra, the Environment Agency and Brighton University, is hosting a seminar on 8 April to consider the success of existing schemes and the barriers to greater uptake.

News

Partnerships with investors

The water sector has delivered major benefits to customers, society and the environment over the past 25 years. Our water supplies are even more reliable, our drinking water remains among the best in the world and our rivers and beaches are cleaner than ever before. This success has been underpinned by partnerships, in particular with investors.

News

Commitment to water industry apprentices

National Apprenticeship Week 2014 Water companies are fully committed to apprenticeship schemes for young people to help launch their careers, and almost 200 places have been offered within the companies every year since 2008.