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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Helena Horton Environment reporter

Ofwat to be abolished in ‘reset’ of water industry regulation

a Thames Water van drives through a massive puddle
A new ombudsman could be created with legal powers to compensate consumers failed by the water industry, for example with taps running dry from burst pipes and sewage leaks in gardens. Photograph: Maureen McLean/Alamy

A new water regulator will replace the powers of Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency to “reset” a sector tarnished by scandals over sewage spills and financial mismanagement, after a major review of the sector.

The government will adopt the recommendation for England and Wales made in the review it commissioned from Sir Jon Cunliffe, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, which was released on Monday. In England, the powers of Natural England will also be subsumed.

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