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In the year ahead water companies will provide a package of measures worth more than £40 million to support customers who are struggling to pay or in debt.

Consumers in the West are used to having the choice of an almost infinite variety of food from around the world, but recent research indicates that food security may become far more fragile as a result of climate change.

From April customers in England and Wales can go to an independent adjudicator if their complaint has not been resolved by their water company or after intervention from the Consumer Council for Water.

A website is up and running for landlords to provide voluntarily basic contact information about their tenants so water companies can register them for billing and tackle this major source of water debt.

Proper hydration is essential for our health and wellbeing, so it is vital that there is confidence in the quality of our drinking water.

The extraction of shale gas poses potential risks to groundwater reserves, for example through contamination with chemicals used in the fracking process. However, the Infrastructure Act, passed last month, will help mitigate these risks. It states that water companies will need to be consulted for all planning applications involving the boring for, or getting of, oil and natural gas from shale.

The ability to attract long-term investment is vital if the water sector is to continue to deliver excellent services and meet future challenges. The next five years will see the biggest changes to the sector since privatisation 25 years ago, with competition in both retail and upstream markets in England.

Water UK considers that a risk-based approach should be taken to the protection of groundwater resources whereby risks are identified and assessed, and then appropriate, measured actions taken to mitigate the impacts on the environment and public health.

Water and sewerage bills will fall after April 2015 and even more help will be available for customers struggling with cost of living pressures.

The European Commission is considering whether or not to carry out a full review of the Drinking Water Directive. However, it is vital that new standards are not set without robust evidence to demonstrate that they are necessary.

The water industry and other stakeholders continue to work together to support the implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), but a number of issues remain to be resolved.

The European Commission is to start a review of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). It is looking increasingly uncertain that any member state will be able to achieve good status in all water bodies by the 2015 deadline and significant use of exemptions and changes to other measures are required.