Water Companies: Fines
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2026 to Question 6751, what sanctions are placed on water companies if they do not provide Ofwat with their regular monitoring reports.
Answered by Emma Hardy
Under the agreed undertakings, Northumbrian Water must provide Ofwat with regular monitoring reports on progress, including an initial report in June 2026 and further updates every six months. The company is also required to publish progress updates for customers and stakeholders on its website.
If Northumbrian Water fail to comply with this undertaking, Section 18 of the Water Industry Act 1991 gives Ofwat the power of further enforcement, which could include the issuing of an enforcement order and/or penalty.
More broadly, water companies are required to comply with their statutory and licence obligations, including providing information to Ofwat, and where they fail to do so, Ofwat has powers to take enforcement action.
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