Nearly half of Ireland’s wastewater treatment plants serving urban centres are failing to achieve national and EU standards, according to a new report released today by Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

A new study into the costs and benefits of the planning system has found that the Government's proposed reforms are likely to have little or no effect on growth and could even undermine public wellbeing.

The UK water and wastewater companies have told the European Commission that behaviour change, not technology, holds the key to reducing water use in buildings.

The UK water companies have warned MPs that plans by Ofwat to open up a cross-border retail market between England and Scotland involves an unacceptable level of operational risk.

Water industry regulator Ofwat has expressed concern over the implications of the acquisition of Cambridge Water by South Staffordshire Water, currently the subject of an inquiry by the Competition Commission.

The Scottish Government is developing plans to commission a root and branch review of construction procurement across the public sector, with the aim of giving small and medium sized companies a bigger share of Scotland’s annual public sector spend of over £2 billion on construction related contracts.

The Competition Commission (CC) has published an issues statement as part of its inquiry into the completed acquisition of Cambridge Water PLC by South Staffordshire Plc.

The Government has today introduced the Water Industry (Financial Assistance) Bill into the House of Commons, enabling it to fund a £50 cut per year for all South West Water household customers and provide additional financial support for exceptionally large or complex water or sewerage infrastructure such as the proposed Thames Tunnel in London.