Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey has praised the government’s move to reform the water industry, with inspections without notice, regular MOT-style checks and compulsory water efficiency labels on appliances among the key measures announced.
The Water White Paper has outlined plans for an overhaul of the water industry, headlined by the decision to replace regulator Ofwat with four different bodies merged to form a “powerful new regulator.”
The proposal outlined powers planned for the new watchdog, which will aim to put failure prevention first, strengthen accountability and promote the environment.
In a major change, the new regulator will be given powers to carry out no-notice inspections of sewage treatment works and other infrastructure, replacing the current requirement to give 24 hours’ notice.
The move is aimed at tackling wrongdoing in the water industry by preventing companies from covering up failings during the notice period.
Ms Long-Bailey welcomed the promise put forward by the Water White Paper and launched a scathing rebuke of the current system, which she believes has “blighted our local rivers.”
She stated: “The Water White Paper is a welcome and long-overdue step forward. For too long, water companies have been allowed to mark their own homework while infrastructure has been left to crumble and pollution has blighted our local rivers.
“In Salford alone, there were 11,974 sewage spills in 2023 from overflows into the Croal and Irwell, managed by United Utilities. That is the direct result of weak regulation and years of failure under the last Conservative Government.
“Putting a Chief Engineer at the heart of the new regulator, introducing proper ‘MOT-style’ checks on infrastructure, and giving regulators the power to intervene early are all reforms our communities have been calling for.
“They should finally put an end to a system where pipes fail, pollution is tolerated, and households are left to pay the price.
“But we must be honest: this is a good start, not the end of the journey. The problems we face go back decades to privatisation, chronic under-investment, and a model that rewards shareholders while bills rise and sewage pours into our waterways.
“Even large fines have failed to change behaviour, while dividends continue to dwarf spending on infrastructure.”
She called on the government to nationalise the water industry, 37 years after it was taken out of public ownership by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government.
Ms Long-Bailey added: “I support these reforms as a first step, while continuing to make the case for going further.
“Public ownership of water would allow every pound from bills to be reinvested in clean water, resilient infrastructure, and lower costs for households, rather than flowing out to shareholders overseas.
“Our water system should serve the public interest, protect our environment, and be accountable to the communities it exists to serve.”
