Farron on Water White paper : "We need a serious refit of the water sector. This plan isn’t it.”

EMBARGO: 22:30 Monday 19th January 2026 

Responding to the Government’s new Water White Paper,  Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, Tim Farron MP said:

“Communities across the country are simply fed up with empty promises, whilst their rivers and coastlines are ravaged by corporate greed.

“The Government have pulled their punches. This White Paper does not go far enough to guarantee the fundamental regulatory reform that was promised. A new executive position with a Chief Engineer simply doesn't cut it.

“We must completely overhaul how water companies run. Liberal Democrats are calling for a new ownership model with water companies mutually owned by customers and professionally managed.

“The Government must also end the sewage cover up by forcing water companies to publish the volume of sewage they dump - not just the duration of spills. We need a serious refit of the water sector. This plan isn’t it. ”

ENDS