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The British government is considering giving mayors more control over water companies
The proposal contemplates creating nine regional bodies with powers to oversee investments, tariffs and discharges. The initiative is part of the debate over greater public control of the sector in England and Wales.
The government of the United Kingdom is studying whether to grant mayors and other local leaders powers to oversee water companies, in a reform aimed at strengthening public control over the sector.
The initiative foresees the creation of nine regional bodies tasked with planning, setting targets and holding companies accountable. According to the BBC, those entities could intervene in some aspects of company spending and demand explanations from executives about bills and wastewater discharges.
The idea is among the recommendations of the independent water commission led by Sir John Cunliffe, published last year. That report argued that the change would give more weight to local voices, users and experts in investment decisions.
According to the BBC, there is still no final decision or defined timetable for announcing measures, although officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs view the proposal favorably. A government spokesperson said the water industry “has not been working for people for too long” and noted that tougher regulations, greater oversight and more corporate accountability are being promoted.
The new regional bodies could be made up of a mayor or local representative, an independent chair, specialists and representatives of affected sectors, such as transport and agriculture.
The debate comes amid discontent over rising tariffs, deteriorating infrastructure and discharges. The BBC reported that complaints from households to the water consumer watchdog rose a record 84% in one year. The Guardian, by contrast, reported a year-on-year increase of 48%. Both outlets agree that this is the largest increase in two decades and that it reflects strong user dissatisfaction.
According to the BBC, the issue also reached the British Parliament this week, after more than 200,000 people signed a petition calling for a referendum on a possible return of the sector to public control. Although lawmakers did not endorse that vote, there was agreement that the current system is broken and needs changes.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
