Water industry in England and Wales needs ‘fundamental reset’, review finds

Warning signs on the beach at Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Sir Jon Cunliffe’s review was set up by the government amid growing public concern about record sewage spills and rising bills. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian

The “deep-rooted, systemic” problems in the water industry in England and Wales are the fault of companies, the government and industry regulators, according to a much-anticipated review, which was immediately criticised for failing to recommend bold action by sewage pollution campaigners.

An interim review into the water industry written by Sir Jon Cunliffe, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, and commissioned by the government found there was “no simple, single change, no matter how radical, that will deliver the fundamental reset that is needed for the water sector”.