56. City Water Debate - sector leaders at the top of their game

On 21 March the Company staged our flagship annual City Water Debate, at Bakers’ Hall. It was a sell out and we were all privileged to hear five leaders of our sector, all at the top of their game, share their perspectives on the governance issues facing the sector. It was like being physically in the room in one of Plato’s dialogues listening in first hand to leaders discussing the great issues of the day.

We hold the City Water Debate annually on the eve of World Water Day and it was the fifteenth in a series dating back to my previous term as Master. The packed event attended by Sheriff Andrew Marsden, Alderman Alison Gowman, Lord Mayor elect our own Michael Mainelli (wearing our Company tear drop),  Masters of associated companies, a very strong contingent of our own members and high profile guests from outside the livery. The event was a fine illustration of the ability of Livery Companies to convene and participate in debate on the major issues of their sectors and was hugely enjoyed and commended by all present.

The topic was running water - does governance of the water sector need to change? When first mooted last year this might have seemed a rather dry topic (apologies for the oxymoron) but it turned out to be prophetic as the whole issue has shot up the national agenda (with hard hitting BBC TV and radio programmes over the past month.

 Our speakers were all leading experts in their fields:

• Professor Sir Dieter Helm CBE, Oxford University
• Alan Lovell DL, Chair of the Environment Agency
• Iain Coucher, Chair of Ofwat
• Lila Thompson, CEO of British Water
• John Hirst CBE, Chair of Anglian Water

We were very grateful to our sponsors: Anglian Water, Atkins Global, Huber Technology and Isle Utilities, without whom the event in the style and numbers involved, would have been impossible. We offered warm thanks to Bakers’ Hall and to Cook and Butler for their excellent welcome and refreshments.

As a Chatham House rules event we were able to have open debate without external distractions. Our speakers drew attention to population growth and the concreting over of many natural soak aways, changes in public expectations, as well as issues relating to the performance of water companies and indeed the regulators; over- riding this is the climate crisis which is having significant impacts on water availability and, via storm surges, on the robustness of the sewerage network.

As you might expect, views were many and varied, with Sir Dieter proposing a radical change to the whole water sector around river basins, and other speakers seeing promoting changes within the current broad framework.  However there was agreement on many points:

• something needs to be done
• action is required by all: water companies, regulators, farming and industry, the general public and government  -we need to work together (and rise above the sometimes  fractious partisan public debate)
•  a lot of investment will be required and we need to think urgently how this will be provided.

There was huge demand for a follow on event, perhaps as suggested by the Master on the scale of investment required and how it will be funded - which may crystallise and bring to a head some of the issues discussed.

This inspiring event highlighted our Company’s ability to convene and participate in debate at the very highest levels. It fitted in so well with our overall programme for the year, including our webinar series (especially the historical perspective from Nick Higham’s talk on the Mercenary River), our consultation responses, our recent Discussion Dinner with the Minster and all our work with DEFRA. It is a tribute to all in our Company with our skills, experience and networks.