The Clean Water Sports Alliance, which Paddle UK is part of, is welcoming an independent commission looking into the largest review of the water sector since privatisation.
The commission will have an independent chair, Sir Jon Cunliffe, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England.
He will be supported by advisers with a range of expertise in the water sector, including the environment.
This new commission is part of the new government’s commitment to clean up the water services industry and comes alongside the Water (Special Measures) Bill that is currently being debated in parliament.
The commission will report its findings back to the government next year. The commission will take expert evidence and there will be opportunities for public engagement and a public consultation.
It will look at a range of issues that need to be addressed to fix the broken water sector, including:
- Ensuring the water industry delivers best value for environment, public health, consumers, and the economy
- Taking a strategic approach to planning how we manage water pollution and water supply at a catchment level
- Ensure water regulators are effective in holding water companies to account
- Ensure water companies are financially and operational resilient with secure infrastructure that is maintained over the long term.
They will take account of the interest of consumers, the public, and those who enjoy the water environment, to help build public trust in water companies.
While this commission is only looking at the water industry and it regulators, it is important the government does two things.
Firstly, it takes forward the commission’s recommendations and secondly, it looks across government at all the other pressures on our water environment from agriculture, to road run off, to how we can ensure a revised planning system supports a healthy environment.
The government’s ambitions for growth are welcome, but our water environment must not be the price that is paid for that ambition.
The Clean Water Sports Alliance represents 11 National Governing Bodies of sport, to clean up water in the UK.
It represents 450,000 members, athletes and millions of participants and water users who are impacted each and every day by poor water quality and pollution.
The Alliance was shortlisted for the Grassroots Sports Organisation of the Year as athletes and groups working hard to enact and inspire change were celebrated.
Ben Seal, Head of Access and Environment at Paddle UK said:
“The Clean Water Sports Alliance has been calling for recreational users of water to have a voice in shaping the future of our water sector.
“We welcome the announcement today and look forward to an opportunity to give evidence to the commission on behalf of the millions of people who rely on water for their health and wellbeing.
Importantly, while we welcome the steps taken by this Government to clean up our waters, we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that pollution in our waters is not just a result of the actions of the water industry, but many other factors, including agriculture.
“The same vigor must be applied in tackling these other sources of pollution, that are damaging our river habitats and putting human health at risk.”
For more detail on the commission please read more on the government’s website >>