The role of financing in the water sector in England and Wales

May 08, 2013

Water UK has published a report on the role of financing in the water sector in England and Wales.

Financing is central to the sector. The water companies need to raise finance for investment in their infrastructure, to help fund the renewal of aged assets and to pay for enhancements to their networks, such as new or upgraded water and wastewater treatment works. Investment is currently around £5 billion each year and in the 24 years since privatisation the companies have invested more than £100 billion, equivalent to £5,000 for every household in England and Wales. In order to deliver further improvements in services and meet the challenge of climate change, the sector will need to invest significantly in further programmes.

Water UK commissioned Frontier Economic to produce a report to explain the role of financing, given its importance in enabling investment by the sector and the implications for customer bills. The aim of the report is to promote a better understanding of how investment is financed and how the system of regulation affects financing. The report has been written, for as far as possible, in non-technical language to be accessible to a wider stakeholder audience.

The report is available here.

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Water UK

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+44 207 344 1842

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+44 207 344 1866

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press@water.org.uk

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