England water companies review: expert reaction

Water companies in England and Wales are to be overseen byu a new watchdog following a review into the water sector, which listed 88 recommendations including abolishing Ofwat. 

Professor Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading, provides reaction to Sir John Cunliffe's report. To arrange interviews, contact the University of Reading Press Office on 0118 378 5757 or pressoffice@reading.ac.uk. 

"Water industry reforms are long overdue and badly needed. A single regulator instead of multiple overlapping bodies makes perfect sense, as does giving local areas more say in water planning. But we can't spend years setting up new structures while our rivers stay polluted and reservoirs run dry. The real challenge isn't designing better systems on paper – it's getting companies to actually fix leaking pipes, stop dumping sewage, and build the infrastructure we need. Less reorganising, more doing.”