Review of the water industry national environment programme (WINEP)

The water industry national environment programme (WINEP) is the programme of work water companies in England are required to do to meet their obligations from environmental legislation and UK government policy.

The WINEP is the most important and substantial programme of environmental investment in England. For 2020 to 2025 it consists of £5.2 billion of asset improvements, investigations, monitoring and catchment interventions. It sets out how the water industry will contribute to improving the natural environment.

The water industry has taken steps over the last 3 decades to improve the water environment. However, there is a collective ambition for the WINEP to deliver more for the environment, for customers and for communities. This reflects society’s high expectations and the UK government’s ambition to leave the environment in a better state for the next generation.

To help meet this ambition, the Environment Agency, Defra and Ofwat have come together to lead a taskforce to improve the WINEP. They have worked with representatives from water companies, Natural England, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, CCW, and environmental non-governmental organisations.

They have redesigned the WINEP, ahead of the next periodic review of water company investments.

Read the ‘Review of the water industry national environment programme consultation document’ to:

• find out about the context and challenges (part 1)
• see the proposals for redesigning the WINEP and the consultation questions – the responses we receive will inform the final WINEP methodology (part 2)
• find out about the wider considerations for government, regulators and water companies to achieve the ambitions of the WINEP review (part 3)

Read the ‘Draft water industry national environment programme methodology’ document to:

• find out about the proposed changes to the methodology
• review the detail of the proposed stages to develop the WINEP