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Ofwat's review into the flooding of summer 2007
The recent floods have clearly impacted consumers of both water and sewerage services, as well as highlighting the importance of planning and investing in infrastructure in the context of climate change.
Ofwat's role as the economic regulator of the water and sewerage sector is to protect consumers, promote value and safeguard the future. We want to review water and sewerage companies' role and performance in managing the 2007 flood events. We will be working with companies, and technical auditors, to review this to provide independent oversight and taking account of CCWater's work on consumers' views.
This review will look at three main areas:
- how sewerage companies managed the extent of flooding given their responsibility for effectual drainage;
- how companies limited adverse impacts on consumers or the environment in terms of water or sewerage services; and
- companies' processes for reviewing experience and identifying lessons for the future.
We will publish a report later this year focusing on the issues that fall within our regulatory remit. If we find shortcomings we will take regulatory action where appropriate and require companies to demonstrate what they are doing to rectify the situation.
We have contributed evidence to the reviews conducted by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and will take part in the Government's independently led review led by Sir Michael Pitt. We will take the lessons learnt from our review and feed these into these wider reviews.
