OFWAT’s replacement by a “tougher” water regulator is a “victory for local people” says a local MP.

Taunton and Wellington MP, Gideon Amos, who has been campaigning to clean up waterways in his constituency, says he welcomes the news.

He said: “Supporting the great volunteers in Wellington in their work trying to protect our River Tone, underlined for me the scandal of sewage being pumped into our rivers while massive profits are extracted and sent overseas.

“Figures just released of 260 days of serious sewage spills by Wessex Water in 2024, are a scandal.

“Even worse, as I pointed out, last year Wessex Water paid out £70 million in profits to shareholders, part of £4 billion paid out since the privatisation of our water by the Conservatives - something I always opposed.

“Volunteers in Wellington and those in Taunton, who helped me apply for Bathing Water Status as a way to make cleanup happen, will be pleased to hear the overdue announcement that Ofwat is to be abolished and that the government now wants to be tougher on the water companies.

“That’s a win for the Lib Dems as we’ve been calling for it to be scrapped since 2022.

“But government now has to deliver, create a tougher regulator, turn water firms into public benefit companies and fully ban bonuses for polluting businesses still being added in the form of even higher salaries. That's not acceptable.

“We also need to make sure all these profits - made out of water, a free and natural resource – are not charged back to local people through higher bills. People can’t afford it.

"I’m not going to stop working on this, and nor are my fellow LibDems in Parliament, until government gets tough on these firms and our rivers and waterways are less polluted”.