Has the perceived importance of, and support for, standards across the water industry declined?

The Future Water Standards & Regulations Group has been established to work with a diverse range of people, organisations, utilities and suppliers in the industry to see if this was a widely held view and determine what we do to change the perception and encourage greater engagement in standards work. The first phase culminated in a face-to-face workshop in March attended by about 50 stakeholders. The workshop discussions were around (i) where we are now with regard to standards, including a compare-and-contrast with other industries (e.g. gas) and other countries (e.g. Germany), (ii) consequences of not investing in standards and (iii) where we would like to be going forward.

The outputs from the workshop have been circulated for discussion and the over-riding conclusion is that there is a lack of co-ordination between the different players, resulting in overlaps and gaps.

During Networks November we will be organising a more focused workshop with invited stakeholders (including water companies, Defra, Ofwat and the EA), focusing on pulling together the various threads such as cost effectiveness, sustainability, and public health and safety to get agreement on doing things better. The aim of the workshop would be to understand the how to achieve consensus on the way forward to achieve a co-ordinated and consistent approach to standards in the water sector.

This event builds on the Future Water Report Card and offers a great opportunity to be part of the development of clear thinking around standards and water. Sign up today to join the session which will be held in conjunction with BSi (British Standards Institute

Date to be confirmed soon