Regional water councils: United Utilities and the Rivers Trust welcome them, with conditions

Reaction to Thursday's announcement of eight regional water councils was broadly positive (GOV.UK). But each group set out what it needs to make the councils work. United Utilities presented its existing North West partnerships as the template. The Rivers Trust said the councils must reach well beyond water companies and be backed by funded catchment partnerships.

What we know

United Utilities. Chief executive Louise Beardmore said the company "strongly support[s] the principle" of bringing decisions closer to communities (Water Magazine). She cited three existing partnerships:

• Windermere: the Only Rainwater into Windermere coalition, which is working to remove wastewater and highway run-off from England's largest lake.
• Greater Manchester: an Integrated Water Management Plan with the combined authority, the Environment Agency and local councils.
• Liverpool City Region: a £30m programme of sustainable drainage and nature-based solutions with local partners.

The Rivers Trust. Chief executive Mark Lloyd called the councils "a welcome step in the right direction" and said they fill the "missing middle" between local and national water governance (Water Magazine). His conditions:

• Not just water companies: farmers, infrastructure owners and local authorities all need to be at the table.
• Funded partnerships: the councils must be underpinned by well-resourced catchment partnerships, which have more than ten years' experience of using local evidence.

What others are reporting

8point9 carried Lloyd's remarks alongside reaction from West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin, who called privatisation "a disaster for our region". The government's own release included support from Wildlife and Countryside Link and The Wildlife Trusts. Link's Richard Benwell said regional control "could be a victory for people and nature", provided the councils get powers and funding (GOV.UK).

Background

United Utilities' three examples differ widely in scale and maturity:

• Windermere is the largest. Last month the coalition costed its preferred option at about £3.7bn. That includes a pipeline or tunnel of roughly 12 miles to divert treated wastewater away from the lake. UU is procuring a £600m design and integration partner on a 13-year contract from April 2027 (Place North West). The government backed the "only rainwater" ambition in March 2025, subject to a feasibility study (GOV.UK).
• Greater Manchester's plan was launched in summer 2023. It is run by a trilateral partnership of the combined authority, the Environment Agency and United Utilities, working with all ten councils (GMCA).
• Liverpool's £30m "spongier city" programme was announced in June 2026 for delivery by 2030. It builds on a 2025 agreement with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the Mersey Rivers Trust (United Utilities).

What we don't know yet

None of the responses addresses who funds the councils' secretariats, or the catchment partnerships the Rivers Trust wants at their core. It is also unclear how a council would handle a scheme on the scale of Windermere, where the costs fall on a regional customer base but the benefits are partly national.

What to watch

• Proposals from local leaders, due by the end of the year, and whether UU's partners put forward the trilateral model.
• Whether the Water Bill gives catchment partnerships a formal role or funding.
• Responses from other companies, particularly those without established combined-authority partnerships.