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Britons face possible water shortages in future because of\u00a0under-investment in infrastructure, peers have warned.<\/p>\n
The Lords’ Industry and Regulators Committee (IRC)\u00a0blasted the Government\u2019s \u201clack of leadership and deep-rooted complacency\u201d following an inquiry into the water industry.<\/p>\n
The cross-party peers warned under-investment will have \u201cserious long-term consequences\u201d for the environment.<\/p>\n
They said water bills are likely to increase in a letter to Environment Secretary Therese Coffey.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> Lord Hollick, chair of the IRC , said: \u201cWhile the Government has begun to set out its vision for the sector, our cross-party committee has concluded unanimously that there is insufficient policy or drive to meet the Government\u2019s targets.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSadly, the only thing that is becoming clear in the murky, polluted waters of the sewage crisis is a lack of leadership and deep-rooted complacency.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The Government must therefore provide firmer policy detail and greater guidance to regulators, who cannot be left to resolve these huge challenges by themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn particular, the Government must give clear guidance on the trade-off between much-needed investment and the level of customer bills.\u201d<\/p>\n The peers also expressed dismay with delays in banning wet wipes containing plastics, which they called \u201cunnecessary and deeply damaging\u201d to the environment.<\/p>\n The government reannounced plans to ban plastic wet wipes that clog up Britain’s sewers in April.<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n The government previously pledged to crack down on wet wipes, first in 2018 and again in 2021.<\/p>\n The Lords\u2019 report also found proposals for reducing water demand are insufficient to meet Government targets.<\/p>\n Lord Hollick said: \u201cWe look forward to the response from the Secretary of State, setting out how she intends to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n The committee called on the Government to set out what action it intends to take to increase investment in the water sector and introduce compulsory water metering.<\/p>\n The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been contacted for a comment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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