Water Services Regulation Authority
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The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) is the body responsible for economic regulation of the privatised water and sewerage industry in England and Wales.
The Water Services Regulation Authority consists of a board, plus an office of staff which carries out work delegated to them by the board. The current board consists of:
- Philip Fletcher - Chairman (previously the Director General of Water Services)
- Penny Boys - Non-Executive Director
- Peter Bucks - Non-Executive Director
- Jane May - Non-Executive Director
- Lord Whitty - Non-Executive Director
- Philip Fletcher - acting Chief Executive until Regina Finn takes up post in October 2006
- Keith Mason - Executive Director
- Melinda Acutt - Executive Director
The Environment Agency is responsible for environmental regulation, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate for regulating drinking water quality.
The water industry regulator in Scotland is the Water Industry Commission for Scotland.
History
Ofwat was set up in 1989 at the time when the 10 Water Authorities in England and Wales were privatised by flotation on the stock market. The resulting companies are known as "the water and sewerage companies"; this distinguishes them from around a dozen smaller companies which only provide water services, which were already in private hands in 1989 (having remained in private ownership since their creation in the nineteenth century). The water only companies provide water to around 25% of the population in England and Wales.
Before 1 April 2006, all regulatory powers rested with the Director General of Water Services. The staff who supported the role of the Director General were collectively known as the "Office of Water Services", which was abbreviated to "Ofwat".
On 1 April 2006, the Director General was replaced by the Water Services Regulation Authority. The name "Office of Water Services" is no longer used, as it had no legal basis. The name "Ofwat" is still used.
External links
See also
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