30/05/08
The water industry is pleased that Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government are taking steps to provide clarity and direction to the Environment Agency in implementing the Water Framework Directive.
The guidance recognises that improvement schemes may have to be undertaken by sectors other than the polluter (in what Defra calls a deviation from the Polluter Pays Principle). However, where this is necessary, there should be full and open justification.
Unfortunately neither guidance nor impact assessment faces up to the effect of increasing water bills on low-income families, particularly in certain parts of the country. Equally, they do not represent a fair and transparent picture of the expected costs and benefits.
Contact: Steve Ntifo
This article was first published in the stakeholder e-newsletter The View from Water UK
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