Water companies in England and Wales will face more rigorous oversight, including unannounced inspections and regular MOT-style checks, as part of a government overhaul of the water industry. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds announced the changes, describing them as the most significant reforms since privatization, intended to address widespread public dissatisfaction with pollution incidents, leaks, and water outages.

The government's Water white paper proposes the creation of company-specific teams tasked with monitoring and supporting individual firms, moving away from a "desk based, one size fits all" approach. Reynolds told the BBC that the current system allowed water companies to "mark their own homework," leading to a "whole system failure" involving regulators and the companies themselves. Compulsory water efficiency labels on appliances are also part of the proposed measures.

The overhaul follows increasing public anger over the performance of water companies in recent years. Thousands of customers have been affected by pollution incidents and water outages, prompting calls for greater accountability and stricter regulation. The new measures aim to provide a more proactive and responsive regulatory framework.

The government believes that these changes will ensure that water companies are held to higher standards and are more responsive to the needs of their customers and the environment. The proposed reforms are currently under review and are expected to be implemented in the coming months.