As the Government launches its independent review of the water sector, Didcot and Wantage MP Olly Glover has declared it is a “time for change” in a parliamentary debate. 

The Westminster session, opened by Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron, addressed the regulation of the water sector. 

This comes after the Environment Secretary Steve Reed bemoaned the lack of water infrastructure, saying that Oxford does not have the capacity to allow house building to go ahead. 

Mr Glover described the Thames Water horrors experienced by his South Oxfordshire constituents in the debate last week.

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Olly Glover (Image: Contributed) The Didcot and Wantage denounced Thames Water as the country’s worst water performer when it comes to leaks, losing more than 200bn litres of water, a quarter of its water supply.

It is also the most heavily indebted water company, and said bills need to rise by 59 per cent to climb out of its financial crisis despite vast bonuses being paid to executives.

With plans for the country’s second largest reservoir to be built in the constituency, Mr Glover asked if Thames Water can be trusted to plan, manage and deliver one of the largest civil engineering projects in the country. 

He said: “We need legally binding targets for preventing the dumping of sewage in order to protect sensitive nature sites, farmland and the recreational areas enjoyed by many, with local environmental groups given a place on the water company boards.

“The financial regulation of water companies needs overhauling; it is time for a change on the bonuses earned by executives of companies that are failing their customers and their county. At the other extreme, water poverty can be eliminated with a single social tariff.

“I met residents in their communities who deserve better – who should be able to bathe in safe waterways, who are not anxious about being able to pay ever increasing bills, who should not have to suffer with sewage-contamination or leaks, and who can be confident that their water company is serving them.”

Thames Water has been under pressure from politicians Thames Water has been under pressure from politicians The Environment Secretary told LBC Radio: “The lack of water infrastructure is now holding back economic growth in this country, so we can’t build the homes that we need in parts of the country.

“Cambridge, for instance, lacks clean water supply. Oxford lacks sewage systems sufficient to allow housebuilding to go ahead.

“A third point here is that by the mid-2030s unless we take action to increase water supply – reservoirs as well as infrastructure – then the demand for drinking water will start to outstrip supply, in a way that already happens in some Mediterranean countries.

“We cannot allow the water system, the water sector, to continue in this way.”

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Over the last year, we reduced leakage by seven per cent to our lowest ever level. While we know we have more to do when it comes to driving down leakage, our percentage reduction is above average for the industry. 

“We’re investing in new infrastructure and work is well underway to upgrade 112km of mains pipes upgrades within London. Within our turnaround plan, we’re working to reduce leakage by 23 per cent over the next three years, this includes tackling our largest leaks first, enhancing technology to detect leaks, and providing more training for our people.   

“Around a third of leaks are located on customers’ properties and our smart meter rollout is playing a crucial role in protecting future water supplies, with the technology helping us to detect around 80,000 leaks to date.” 

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About the author  

Toby is a senior reporter who has a particular interest in covering planning and local government. 

He joined in September 2024 having been a reporter at the Hampshire Chronicle for three years. 

Toby studied at the University of Brighton and can be found on X through the handle @JournoToby