Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the OEP, said: “The creation of an Independent Water Commission demonstrates a welcome commitment by government to carry out a much-needed systemic review and reform of the sector.
“The breadth of the commission’s work to strengthen regulation, boost investment and inform further legislation is to be commended as suitably ambitious to help deliver a long-term, strategic plan to protect and improve water quality.
“The commission’s review is vitally important to ensuring a positive future for water. Key to its success will be the delivery of its work to contribute to that big picture of fundamental transformation of our water system that is so clearly needed.”
Dame Glenys added: “The scale and complexity of the challenge here is significant, as we have identified in our report assessing the implementation of the Water Framework Directive Regulations. As things stand, Government will not meet the ambition that most water bodies will be on the road to good condition or else already in that state by 2027.
“We hope this report and our broader programme of work on water quality are helpful to government and this commission in delivering the shift that is needed for our water bodies to thrive.”
