Ofwat
Ofwat is a public administration that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Ofwat proposes £22 million fine for South East Water over repeated supply disruptions
Ofwat has proposed a £22m fine for South East Water following an investigation into multiple supply disruptions between 2020 and 2023, which affected more than 286,000 people. The investigation found that the company failed to plan sufficiently, learn from incidents and conduct root cause analysis to maintain resilience within its water supply system, and was therefore unable to cope during periods of high demand or extreme weather. The company also failed to maintain key infrastructure such as service reservoirs, boreholes and […]
Ofwat confirms £11 million enforcement package for Wessex Water
Package to be paid by the company and its shareholders, for the benefit of the environment and customers. The company will also be required to rectify any identified breaches and ensure its future compliance. Six wastewater cases have now been closed in 2025, with more than £250m in fines and redress confirmed.
Launch of £25m Water Efficiency Lab to drive innovation and cut water use across England and Wales
The inaugural Water Efficiency Lab (‘WEL 1’) – a £25 million challenge-led competition to unlock and scale innovations that reduce water use across England and Wales is to be launched. The first year of the competition, offering £5 million in total funding and up to £1.5 million for individual projects, is inviting innovators to develop […]
Ofwat imposes £86 million penalties on Anglian Water and South West Water
£62.8m to be paid by Anglian Water and its shareholders, for the benefit of the environment and their customers. £24m enforcement package to be paid by South West Water and its shareholders, for the benefit of the environment and their customers. More than £240m in wastewater enforcement fines and redress confirmed by Ofwat in 2025.
Water Breakthrough Challenge 6 unleashes £400 million for future innovation
Ofwat’s sixth Water Breakthrough Challenge will award up to £50 million to collaborative projects between water companies and innovators from across sectors and worldwide. It seeks broad solutions that tackle big water sector challenges, including climate change, pollution, leakage and nature restoration – all while ensuring good value for customers. This is the first competition of AMP8, following the announcement in January that the Ofwat Innovation Fund has been extended to 2030, with £400 million of funding.
Ofwat confirms Thames Water penalties payment plan
On 28 May 2025 Ofwat published its final decisions for two enforcement cases against Thames Water. These decisions included imposing two penalties on the company, one of £104.5m from the investigation into its wastewater business, and one of £18.2m from the investigation into dividend payments the company had made. While these penalties were originally due […]
Ofwat appoints interim leaders after David Black steps down
Following the announcement that David Black is to stand-down from his role as Chief Executive, the Board of Ofwat is pleased to announce that it has appointed Chris Walters as the Interim Chief Executive from 30 August 2025. Mr Walters is currently Senior Director, Price Review at Ofwat. Recognising the decision by UK Government to establish a […]
Ofwat proposes £24 million enforcement package on South West Water
Ofwat has today (10 July 2025) proposed a £24m enforcement package following its findings that South West Water has failed to meet it legal obligations in managing its wastewater treatment works and network. These failures resulted in the company spilling wastewater to the environment when it should not have done. This announcement represents the next […]
RAPID alliance advances key infrastructure to secure the UK’s water supply
RAPID pipeline will deliver a minimum of around 999 million litres per day – one fifth of the forecast supply deficit in the NFWR. The current pipeline, including contingency schemes, would provide additional capacity of up to 2,813 million litres per day (2.8 billion litres) in total.