The Water Industry

Before privatization of the water industry in England and Wales in 1989, the structure of the industry was laid down by statute. The Water Act 1973, established, for England and Wales, ten multi-purpose Regional Water Authorities (RWA) to deal primarily with sewage treatment and disposal and supplying clean water by taking over the functions of over 1000 separate local authorities (Map 7.1). Many authorities were also involved in a range of water-related activities such as flood protection, fisheries and recreation. In addition to the ten Water Authorities, Statutory Water Companies (SWC) supply clean water to a quarter of the population of England and Wales (Map 7.2). These had been established by Acts of Parliament in many localities during the nineteenth century, but by 1989 a process of merger and acquisition had reduced the number to 28, largely in the South East of England.