28 October 2008
Water companies in England and Wales are being urged to spend more on infrastructure maintenance in order to reduce the risk of pollution. According to the Environment Agency, water firms were responsible for one-fifth of serious pollution incidents last year. Many of these were the result of badly maintained or ageing sewage pipes. The organisation acknowledges that companies are working to improve their infrastructure, but insists they must go much further. "We need to be reassured that such investment is in the right areas to protect the environment and will deliver value for money," said director of water management David King. Water companies submitted their pricing plans for the next five years to industry regulator Ofwat this summer. However, according to a report in the Observer, tighter credit market conditions mean they will find it difficult to secure the funding they need to make key infrastructure improvements. As a result, water bills may have to rise faster than anticipated, experts told the newspaper.