Fast facts
Who we are
- Economic regulator of the water and sewerage sectors in England and Wales.
- Established in 1989, when the sectors were privatised.
- Non-ministerial government department.
What we do
- Make sure the regulated companies in the water and sewerage sectors provide customers with a good quality service at a fair price.
- Work to keep bills as low as possible for customers.
- Monitor and compare the services that companies provide.
- We regulate sectors with a combined turnover of about £10 billion every year.
What has been achieved
- Leakage down by 35% since its peak in the mid-1990s.
- 90,000km of pipes and water mains replaced or improved since privatisation.
- Around 338,000 fewer customers at risk of lower pressure – a reduction of 99% since 1989.
- Proportion of properties at highest risk of sewer flooding reduced by over 75% in the last 10 years.
- Drinking water quality in England and Wales comparable with best in Europe. In 2010 99.96% of drinking water met quality standards.
- In 1990, only around 78% of England and Wales' bathing waters met the minimum standards, compared to more than 98% now.
- Without our challenge on efficiency, customers’ bills would be about £120 higher.
Where we’re heading
- In March 2010 we launched our refreshed strategy ‘Delivering sustainable water’.
- Sustainable water is about making sure we all have what we need to live today, whilst understanding the long-term implications of our choices.
For more information about the history of Ofwat, view our timeline.
