Chichester Harbour Trust responds to Sir Jon Cunliffe’s Independent Water Commission: Review of the Water Sector

The long-awaited Cunliffe Review into the water industry was published last week, paving the way for a radical overhaul of water treatment and its regulatory framework. If implemented, its recommendations would represent the most significant shake-up of the sector since privatisation—recognising that a broken system continues to fail both our environment and our communities.

The Chichester Harbour Trust welcomes the report’s depth and ambition, particularly the proposed creation of a single, overarching regulator with authority across the water sector. Replacing self-monitoring by water companies with a fully independent monitoring regime promises greater accountability, more accurate real-time data, and vital public transparency.

We also support the recommended introduction of Regional Water Authorities based on natural catchment areas. A catchment-based approach is essential to addressing pollution from all sources—including agriculture, which is contributing at least as much to the ecological decline of Chichester Harbour as sewage discharges. Run-off containing phosphates and nitrates stimulates macroalgal mats that smother intertidal habitats, damaging saltmarsh and seagrass and devastating fish, invertebrate, and bird populations of international significance.

Chichester Harbour will not recover unless all sources of pollution are tackled. The Trust’s mission to “Reverse the Decline” will only succeed if this ambition is shared and acted upon across the board.

The Government must now implement these proposals as a matter of urgency. However, implementation alone will not stop sewage spills. Achieving real change will require sustained, large-scale investment in wastewater infrastructure. The proposals in the report to strengthen financial resilience of water companies—such as minimum capital requirements and dividend restrictions—are welcome, but will be absolutely insufficient unless backed by determined government action to ensure that this critical investment is undertaken.

As Nick Backhouse, Chairman of the Chichester Harbour Trust, said:

“The Government must implement these proposals a matter of urgency. But it must not hide behind Commissions and new regulators; it must lead. What is critically needed is massive investment in our sewerage system that is way beyond the scope of this report.

“If we were starting today, no sewage treatment plants would ever be allowed to be built on the banks of our Harbour. As a charity dedicated to protecting this National Landscape, we will not rest until no untreated sewage is ever allowed—or able—to be discharged into its precious waters.”

Image by Paul Adams, Harbour Images.