According to Ofwat, the industry regulator, businesses are “falling short” on performance benchmarks regarding the prevention of leaks, the delivery of water, and the reduction of pollution.

It was stated that as a result of the evaluation, a significant amount of money would be returned to homes in the form of reduced costs.

According to Ofwat’s evaluation, not a single business was able to achieve the highest possible performance standard.

Dr Cymru, Southern, Thames, Anglian, Bristol, South East, and Yorkshire Water were placed in the lowest category of “lagging,” while the remaining 10 were ranked as “average.” None of them were judged to be in the “leading” position.

The regulatory body in England and Wales holds water firms accountable to “stretching” targets that were established in 2019 for a period of five years.

If they are unable to fulfill their goals, Ofwat will limit the amount of cash they may collect from its clients.

In the years 2024 and 2025, all of the water companies that were examined will be required to return money to their customers in the form of lower monthly bills. Only five of the companies will be exempt from this requirement.