Eight new water councils, and a deadline of the end of this year to shape them
What happened
On 5 November 2026, the government announced that eight new regional water councils will be set up in England, giving local leaders a formal say over billions of pounds of water and flood investment. The councils will bring together local leaders, customers and businesses to set regional priorities on sewage, flooding, drought and water supply. There is an immediate deadline. Local leaders must submit proposals on how they want to run the new bodies by the end of 2026. After that, each council will publish a plan covering its region's main water pressures, the decisions that need taking, and the public and private investment available. Alongside this, mayors will gain powers under a strengthened Water Bill to hold water companies to account. The government is also adding automatic fining powers, and criminal liability for water executives who cover up or hide sewage spills. The Environment Secretary has set out expectations for the next Price Review - the process that determines what water companies can charge - warning companies to deliver better value for households that are struggling. No date was given for that. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "I know how desperate people are for change when it comes to water," and described the reform as what "moving power closer to communities looks like." Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: "For decades, the water industry has failed to work for the people and places it was meant to serve." Further detail is promised in the 10-year plan for Britain, due later in 2026.
Why this matters
Water is the public service people complain about most and understand least. Most of us do not choose our water company - there is one where you live, and that is that. You cannot switch. So the usual pressure of consumers taking their business elsewhere does not exist. That leaves regulation and politics as the only real levers, which is why a change in who gets to pull them matters. The practical issues are familiar. Sewage discharged into rivers and seas. Homes flooded. Hosepipe bans in dry summers. Bills going up. These are all local in how they are felt, but decisions about them have largely been made nationally, between the companies and the regulator. The criminal liability measure deserves attention. Making it a criminal matter for water executives to cover up or hide sewage spills is a change in kind, not degree. Fines land on companies and are passed on to customers. Personal criminal liability lands on individuals. There is a health dimension too, and it is not abstract. Sewage in rivers and at beaches carries bacteria and viruses that make people ill - stomach upsets, ear and eye infections, and occasionally worse. Wild swimming and water sports have grown enormously in popularity, which means more people are exposed. And flooding has health effects that outlast the water: damp homes, lost medicines and medical equipment, interrupted care, and significant mental strain for months afterwards.
What the evidence actually says
This announcement is thinner on figures than it first appears, and we would rather say so than dress it up. The firm facts: there will be eight regional water councils. Local leaders must submit proposals on how to run them by the end of 2026. Mayors will get accountability powers under a strengthened Water Bill. Automatic fining powers and criminal liability for covering up sewage spills are being added. What is not specified: the amount of money. The announcement refers to billions of pounds of water and flood investment without giving a figure. It does not say what the councils' legal powers will be, how they will be funded, or what happens if a water company simply disagrees with a regional plan. Those are the details that will determine whether this is meaningful or decorative. One figure quoted is a claim rather than a government statistic. Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said household bills are set to rise by over 40%. That is her statement, not a Defra number, and it should be read as such. Support for the plan is broad among environmental groups, which is worth noting because they have been among the industry's sharpest critics. Richard Benwell of Wildlife and Countryside Link said regional control of water investment "could be a victory for people and nature" - and the word "could" is his, not ours. Matthew Browne of The Wildlife Trusts said putting communities at the heart of water management "could finally turn the tide on our polluted rivers." Mark Lloyd of The Rivers Trust said they have "long been calling for a regionwide systems planning approach." That is genuine, informed support from organisations with no reason to flatter the government. It is also, carefully read, support for the direction rather than confirmation that the mechanism will work. The honest summary: this is a structural reform announced before its details exist. The end-of-2026 deadline for local proposals is the first real test, and the 10-year plan for Britain, due later this year, should contain more.
Qurexa perspective
We deliver to homes across Lincolnshire, including areas that know a great deal about flooding. So we will offer one practical observation rather than a comment on water policy. When a home floods, medicines are among the things people lose and rarely think about in advance. Boxes get soaked. Fridges storing insulin lose power. Repeat prescriptions sitting in a kitchen drawer are ruined. And in the days afterwards, when someone is dealing with insurers and dehumidifiers, reordering a medicine slips down the list. If you live somewhere with flood risk, two small things help. Keep medicines above likely flood level rather than in a ground-floor cupboard. And keep a written or photographed list of what you take, including doses, somewhere you can reach it from a phone - because if you have to leave in a hurry, a pharmacist can help you far faster with that list than without it. If you are ever flooded and lose medicines, contact your pharmacy straight away. Emergency supplies can usually be arranged, and you should not go without.
Practical advice
If you are a local leader, mayor or council officer, the end of 2026 deadline for submitting proposals on how your regional water council should run is the thing to act on now. It is weeks away, not months. If you want a say as a resident, your route is through your mayor or local authority, since they are the ones submitting proposals and sitting on these councils. Local consultations on water and flood priorities are worth responding to, and they usually attract few responses - which means yours carries more weight than you might expect. To check water quality where you swim, the Environment Agency publishes bathing water classifications for designated sites, and The Rivers Trust publishes maps showing where sewage is discharged. Both are free. Check before you swim, not after. If you swim in open water, basic precautions reduce the risk: avoid swimming after heavy rain, when discharges are more likely; keep your head above water where you can; cover cuts; shower afterwards; and wash your hands before eating. If you become unwell after swimming in a river or the sea - stomach upset, diarrhoea, ear or eye infection - mention the swim to your GP or pharmacist. It genuinely changes what they consider. If you are struggling with your water bill, contact your water company. All of them must offer support schemes, including social tariffs for low-income households, and many people who qualify never apply. There is also the WaterSure scheme for certain households on a meter. Ask directly. If you live in a flood risk area, sign up for free Environment Agency flood warnings. They come by text, phone or email, and the few minutes of notice they give are often what lets people move medicines, documents and valuables upstairs.
What to know
Eight new regional water councils will be created in England, bringing local leaders, customers and businesses together to set priorities on sewage, flooding, drought and water supply. Local leaders must submit proposals on how to run them by the end of 2026. Mayors will get powers to hold water companies to account under a strengthened Water Bill. Automatic fining powers are being added, along with criminal liability for water executives who cover up or hide sewage spills. The gaps are real: no investment figure was given, and the councils' legal powers, funding and authority over water companies are not yet specified. Environmental groups have welcomed the direction while using conditional language about whether it will work. The 10-year plan for Britain, due later in 2026, should fill in detail. In the meantime, the practical things within your reach: check bathing water quality before swimming, sign up for free flood warnings if you are at risk, and ask your water company about social tariffs if your bill is a struggle. Sources: GOV.UK / Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 'Communities to get a stronger say over billions of pounds of water investment', 5 November 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/communities-to-get-a-stronger-say-over-billions-of-pounds-of-water-investment | The Rivers Trust, sewage map and river health data, https://theriverstrust.org/ | Environment Agency, bathing water quality and flood warnings, https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.
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