The Guardian Top News｜英国水务监管局将被废除 政府拟设立新水务监管机构
该监管机构因污水泄漏、股东分红激增以及债务膨胀等问题面临强烈批评
去年英国水务公司造成的严重污染事件激增60%
据《卫报》了解，根据将于周一公布的政府委托审查报告建议，英格兰和威尔士备受争议的水务监管机构将被撤销。
英国政府部长将于下周宣布就成立新监管机构展开公众咨询，此举恰逢前英国央行副行长乔恩·坎利夫爵士主持的水务行业审查结果公布。
消息人士称，此次磋商可能会以废除水务监管局（Ofwat）告终。该机构负责监管英格兰和威尔士地区水务公司的服务收费上限。
英国水务监管局（Ofwat）因未能阻止污水泄漏、纵容水务公司高额分红以及债务激增等问题而饱受批评，这些问题在英格兰和威尔士的水务公司中普遍存在。此次审查将建议建立一套新的监管体系。
在公众对创纪录的污水排放事件、不断上涨的账单以及部分大型公用事业公司财务状况恶化日益愤怒的背景下，英国政府委托卡尼夫（Cunliffe）开展了此次审查。
这将是自玛格丽特·撒切尔执政时期该行业私有化以来规模最大的一次审查。去年启动审查时，环境大臣史蒂夫·里德表示，审查将‘制定新法规以改革水务行业，使其真正服务于消费者和环境的利益’。
批评人士指出，水务办公室（Ofwat）自1989年成立以来，纵容了水务公司对基础设施投资不足和财务管理不善的风气。最令政府头疼的是英国最大水务公司泰晤士水务（Thames Water），该公司背负200亿英镑债务，正竭力避免财务崩溃。
泰晤士水务公司正与英国水务管理局（Ofwat）就债权人接管事宜进行谈判，这些债权人持有该公司大部分债务。该公司同时试图争取免除罚款和处罚的宽大处理。若谈判失败，该公司可能通过特别管理制度暂时收归国有。
坎利夫（Cunliffe）在中期审查中警告称，包括水务办公室（Ofwat）在内的现行监管体系已“基本丧失公众信任”。
行业领袖们也长期抱怨水资源监管缺乏协调性，不同的监管机构和部门在调查领域存在重复工作。这导致难以及时做出决策，使得调查拖延，而非预防或解决环境损害和污染问题。
坎利夫还提出了‘整合监管职责与职能的根本性、结构性方案’。目前英国水务监管机构共有三家——水务办公室（Ofwat）、环境署（Environment Agency）和饮用水监察局（Drinking Water Inspectorate）。
水资源活动家、前Undertones乐队主唱费加尔·夏基（Feargal Sharkey）表示：“水务行业对半官方机构的清理还需更彻底，我们需要采取补救性和根本性措施，而且必须立即行动。”
一个始终不愿承认自身处于贪婪、腐败与无能漩涡中心的监管机构，其污染河流、剥削消费者的罪责与任何水务公司无异。
一位政府发言人表示：“我们不会对猜测性言论置评。”
英国水务办公室（Ofwat）内部人士担忧，在投资敏感时期，若在没有明确未来规划的情况下废除该监管机构，可能会加剧不确定性。不过有消息人士表示，他们支持将部分不同的调查和处罚权合并至单一监管机构——即使这会让他们失去工作。
一位内部人士表示，“单纯废除水务监管局（Ofwat）并非快速解决方案”。
他们补充道：“如果真有避免泰晤士水务公司被强制接管（special administration）的简易方案，政府早就实施了。”
一位白厅高层人士表示，他们担心监管改革的政治化可能在中短期内使水务行业更难吸引投资。
消息人士表示：“投资者需要清楚自己购买的是什么，这包括监管政策。”
周五公布的数据显示，水务公司造成的严重污染事件数量较前一年上升了60%。英国环境署数据显示，2024年严重污染事件总数达75起，高于2023年的47起。其中81%（61起）由三家水务公司引发：泰晤士水务公司（33起）、南方水务公司（15起）和约克郡水务公司（13起）。泰晤士水务的严重污染事件数量从14起增至33起，增长逾一倍。
英国水务监管局（Ofwat）拒绝置评。
Watchdog has faced intense criticism over sewage spills, shareholder payouts and ballooning debts
Serious pollution incidents by English water firms rose 60% last year
England and Wales embattled water regulator will be abolished under recommendations from a government-commissioned review due out on Monday, the Guardian understands.
Ministers will announce next week a consultation into creating a new regulator, to coincide with the results of a review into the water industry directed by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe.
This consultation is likely to conclude with the abolition of Ofwat, the watchdog that polices how much water companies can charge for services in England and Wales, sources said.
Ofwat has faced intense criticism over its failure to prevent sewage spills , hefty payments of dividends , and ballooning debts across England and Waless water companies. The review will recommend a new regulatory system.
Cunliffes review was set up by the government amid growing public anger about record sewage spills and rising bills, as well as the fraying finances of some of the biggest utilities.
It will be the largest review of the sector since its privatisation under Margaret Thatcher. At the launch of the review last year, the environment secretary, Steve Reed, said it would shape new legislation to reform the water sector so it properly serves the interests of customers and the environment.
Critics have said Ofwat presided over a culture of underinvestment in water infrastructure and financial mismanagement by water companies since its creation in 1989. The most troubling case for the government is the UKs largest water company, Thames Water, which is loaded with 0520bn in debt and struggling to stave off financial collapse .
Thames Water is in talks with Ofwat over a takeover by creditors who hold much of its debt, and is trying to secure leniency from fines and penalties . Should those negotiations fail, it is likely to fall into temporary state ownership via the special administration regime .
Cunliffe warned in his interim review that the current regulatory system, including Ofwat, had largely lost public trust.
Industry leaders have also long bemoaned a lack of coherence in water regulation, with different regulators and agencies doubling up on areas of investigation. This has made it hard to have timely decisions, allowing investigations to drag on rather than prevent or address environmental harm and pollution.
Cunliffe had also suggested fundamental, structural options for integrating regulatory remits and functions. There are now three regulators for water C Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Water campaigner and former Undertones frontman Feargal Sharkey said: The bonfire of the quangos in the industry needs to go further, we need remedial and radical action and we demand it now.
A regulator that has never been prepared to acknowledge its role at the epicentre of greed, corruption and incompetence is just as guilty as any water company of polluting rivers and exploiting customers.
A government spokesperson said: We do not comment on speculation.
Insiders at Ofwat have expressed concern that scrapping the regulator without a clear plan for the future could add to uncertainty at a sensitive time for investment. However, sources said they supported combining some different investigatory and punishment powers within one regulator C even if it cost them their jobs.
One insider said simply scrapping Ofwat would not be a quick fix.
If this were an easy way to avoid putting Thames Water into special administration, I think the government would have done it already, they added.
A senior Whitehall source said they feared the politicisation of regulatory changes could make it harder to attract investment for the water industry in the short and medium term.
Investors need to know what they are buying, the source said. That includes regulation.
On Friday, it was revealed serious pollution incidents by water companies were up by 60% last year compared with the year before. The total number of serious pollution incidents in 2024 was 75, up from 47 in 2023, Environment Agency figures showed. Of these, 81% (61) were caused by three companies: Thames Water (33), Southern Water (15) and Yorkshire Water (13). Thames Waters serious incidents more than doubled from 14 to 33.
Ofwat declined to comment.