Policy paper

Water (Special Measures) Act: policy statement

Sets out the details of the provisions in the Water (Special Measures) Act and how they are intended to apply.

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
5 September 2024
Last updated
24 February 2025 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Water (Special Measures) Act: policy statement

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Details

This policy statement sets out how the Water (Special Measures) Act  will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry. This is an important first step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector more broadly.

The policy statement includes details on provisions which  enable government and the regulators to:

  • block bonuses for executives who pollute our waterways
  • bring criminal charges against persistent law breakers
  • enable automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing
  • ensure monitoring of every sewage outlet

Updates to this page

Published 5 September 2024
Last updated 24 February 2025 show all updates

  1. The Water (Special Measures) Act received royal assent on 24 February 2025. Updated the page to reflect changes made to the act during passage through parliament.

  2. First published.

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