An elemental part of society, the quality of our water supply speaks directly to our quality of life. It is widely regarded as a human right to have access to clean water; a principle that the UK has subscribed to in international law. 

Unfortunately, our system is not up to scratch. It is characterised by a combination of Victorian-era pipes liable to leaks and crumbling, bad actors across the water and agricultural sectors polluting systems without strict penalties, and wealthy benefactors extracting profits from providers, passing them on as costs to consumers. 

In Crewe & Nantwich, we’ve seen repeated pollution events involving slurry being deposited in the River Weaver, the latest of which resulted in the deaths of thousands of fish. At the time, I pressed the Environment Agency to ensure those responsible were held to account. It has since been confirmed that robust and appropriate enforcement action will be taken against any polluters found to be responsible. 

Earlier this year, I raised the issue of agricultural run-off in Parliament during a debate on the Water White Paper. I know constituents want to see a compelling deterrent in place for polluters, and to have confidence that those responsible will face swift justice. 

In 2024, there were 18 storm overflows that spilled raw sewage 464 times for 3,825 hours in our area. Many of you will also remember that last year, sewage spilled onto Alexandra Gardens play area following a leak at a privately-owned pumping station in Crewe. 

This government recognised the need to fix this pressing issue before we were elected. Labour’s manifesto promised to force water companies to clean up our rivers, and the government has outlined plans to do exactly that through the Water White Paper. 

Headline improvements to our system under the Water White Paper include £700 million investment in water leakage reduction over 5 years, towards the target of halving leakage by 2050. By contrast, 60% of our water pipes were built before 1981 and 13% over 100 years old. The government has also committed £104 billion to upgrade the water sector across 2025-30.   

Importantly for Crewe & Nantwich, the UK government will create a consolidated set of stronger and clearer national standards to tackle agricultural pollution through the new Water White Paper, backed by an increase in inspection capacity to at least 6,000 farm inspections annually by 2029. It will consult in early 2026 on bringing sewage sludge use in agriculture into the Environmental Permitting Regime and is considering extending environmental permitting to cattle farming where risk warrants it. 

Regulation 

The government is creating a new water regulator covering the whole industry to give clear oversight and tougher enforcement powers, ensuring water companies are held properly to account. This new body will combine the functions of Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (the DWI), the Environment Agency (the EA) and Natural England. 

The new regulator will have a Chief Engineer to manage in-person checks on water infrastructure across all providers. Ofwat had previously halted routine checks, allowing companies to self-report and in some cases, neglect to include significant pollution events. These checks will also involve technical scrutiny of ageing pipes, pumps and treatment assets so that problems are identified earlier, and maintenance is no longer neglected.  

An ‘MOT-style’ system of regular health checks on pipes, pumps and infrastructure will spot problems earlier, prevent leaks and outages, and stop water shortages before they happen. This approach will help identify risks much earlier, preventing failures before they occur and reducing the likelihood of service disruptions, outages and water shortages that households and businesses have faced in recent years.  

Stronger inspection powers, including no-notice inspections, will give the regulator powers to inspect water companies for things like preparedness in emergencies and security, without giving notice. 

These inspections will give an up‑to‑date picture of how each company is performing, a truer picture of water companies’ security and resilience. This stronger oversight will allow the regulator to take swift action wherever visits are not up to standard. 

By shifting the focus from reactive fixes to proactive maintenance, the system will provide greater long-term stability, improve operational resilience and reduce the costly cycle of emergency repairs. 

Investment 

A new Performance Improvement Regime will force failing water companies to act quickly, protecting customers, the environment and long-term investment stability. The new Performance Improvement Regime will put an end to water bosses running customer money into the ground while neglecting their responsibilities. It gives the regulator the ability to step in quickly when companies fall short, ensuring stronger accountability and faster recovery when failures occur. 

Any water company that is behind on its finances, environmental performance, drinking water quality or day‑to‑day operations will face tough, targeted consequences, ensuring customers and the environment are protected. 

Streamlined planning 

Planning in the water industry is currently fragmented across more than 20 different processes, which is inefficient and not cost effective. New reforms will instead bring councils, water companies, farmers, and developers together to deliver joined-up local plans to tackle river pollution, water resources and housing growth. 

The government White Paper acknowledges the need for greater alignment among water sector stakeholders and for more cohesive planning to set longer term strategic direction. It sets out proposals for clean water to address the most high-profile and visible challenge facing the water system – pollution. The UK government is proposing a shift in focus from reactive remediation to ‘pre-pipe’ solutions, pointing to measures such as rainwater management, sustainable drainage systems and addressing sewer misuse.