Water companies to 'face the people they actually serve' through eight new councils

Plans by the government to create eight regional water councils in England will make the "companies turn to face the people that they actually serve", a minister has said. The new bodies will include mayors and leaders , as well as farmers, businesses and households who will all have a say in how £100bn of infrastructure investment is prioritised. The councils will aim to change the current system, where decisions about water are taken nationally, despite communities facing varying challenges in different regions.

Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: "We think it's really important that we make the companies accountable to their local regions. Read more: Thames Water accused of 'horrendous' pollution spike ahead of crunch credit decision Read more: Yorkshire Water boss steps down after firm given one-star environmental rating "The water companies will now have to go to water to a water council, which will have representation, local mayors, local leaders, users of water in that area.

"What we're trying to do with this announcement is to make water companies turn to face the people that they actually serve." The plans form part of Labour's plans to tackle issues in the water sector amid widespread anger over the polluted state of England’s rivers, lakes and coasts, as well as rising bills. Dame Angela said 80% of the country is in drought and warned that the infrastructure does not currently allow sufficient water reserves, with 40% still under a hosepipe ban.

Asked if Brits needed to reduce their water usage, she said: "I think in the past many of us have thought that water is just always there and we can use as much of it as we want. "Climate change and the fact that we may well be getting very wet winters but very dry summers, and we don't yet have the kind of infrastructure I'd like us to have to enable us to keep more of that water that we get in winter. "We've all got to be very mindful.

Water companies have got to be much better at dealing with leakage as well, and we've all got to be mindful. "If you're in very serious drought areas in the southeast and southwest, you've got to be very mindful." The councils are expected to agree regional priorities on flooding, drought, water quality and supply, reflecting the views of bill-payers. These will feed into the next round of water industry planning and the ten-year flood investment programme.

The Prime Minister previously said: "I know how desperate people are for change when it comes to water. "I share their frustration at seeing sewage and pollution blight our rivers, lakes, and seas, while decisions about their local areas are taken miles away. "That’s not right. So for the first time, local people will have a real say over what they need from their water company, whether that is cleaning up polluted rivers, building new reservoirs or protecting homes from floods."