The task and finish group will consider what resilience means for the wider water sector. The group will aim to answer the following questions.
- What is resilience in relation to the provision of water and wastewater services?
- What do service providers need to consider as they think about how best to provide resilient water and wastewater services?
- What does Ofwat need to consider as it thinks about how best to regulate the water and wastewater service providers, having regard to its statutory duties, including its new duty on resilience?
What will come out of it?
In order to help answer the questions the task and finish group will deliver a series of short reports throughout the year covering:
- An overarching definition of resilience for water and wastewater
- A review of the current UK structures to ensure resilience for water and wastewater
- Short overlapping discussion papers looking at resilience from the following perspectives, economic, social, environmental, customer, physical, technological, climatic, security, regulatory/political.
The group’s work will feed into our ongoing reform of our policy framework for PR19. The work will culminate with a final report to us addressing the three main questions.
Who are we?
We established this group in early 2015 as part of our new strategy and following the introduction of a new primary duty on resilience. The group is chaired by Waterwise managing director Jacob Tompkins and is an independent body reporting to us and seeking to influence the sector more widely. The group is expected to complete its work by early 2016.
The group is made up of experienced professionals from the water sector. All participants are representing themselves as individuals on the group, rather than their organisations. The members are:
- Jacob Tompkins – Waterwise
- Kat Austen– iilab
- Richard Aylard – Thames Water
- Sarah Bentley– Severn Trent Water
- Tim Bowen – Costain
- Jerry Bryan – Albion Water
- Diane McCrea – CCWater
- Rose O’Neill – WWF
- Nicci Russell – Ofwat
- Heather Smith – Cranfield University
- John Spence – Southern Water
- Jean Spencer – Anglian Water
Want to get involved?
The Task and Finish group is committed to working openly and engaging with the wider community. Join the group’s LinkedIn page to follow and discuss the latest developments. You can also email at [email protected] and join in on twitter using #resilience.
The group would like your views. If you want to contribute please complete this short survey, ideally by mid-August.