Water White Paper

On 8 December 2011, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs released a White Paper titled, "Water for Life", which is described as a "call to action" and a "vision" for the future management of water.

Key focus areas of the White Paper include:

• tackling water pollution: it is proposed to take forward the new "catchment-based approach" to water quality and diffuse pollution;
• tackling over-abstraction: after consultation, it is proposed to introduce legislation to reform the abstraction regime early in the next Parliament, implementing the new regime fully by the mid to late 2020s;
• a water sector that focuses on its customers: it is proposed to introduce a package of reforms to extend competition in the water sector by increasing choice for business customers and making the market more attractive to new entrants. In particular, the special merger regime that applies to the water sector may be loosened. It is also proposed to support changes