The Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and Ofwat published their first joint Water Industry Performance Insights report on 29 October 2026, bringing evidence from the four regulators into a single view of how water companies in England and Wales are performing.

The report describes a mixed picture. It says 99.97% of drinking water tests met required standards, and that internal sewer flooding in homes and local businesses has fallen by 43% in recent years. Household consumption was 137.3 litres per person per day, similar to the previous year. Leakage has declined over the long term, though the report says further reductions are needed.

Pollution remains a main concern, with 2,991 incidents across England and Wales in 2025, including 84 classed as serious. Of 2,254 planned environmental improvement actions, 142 were not delivered on time, a completion rate of 93.7%. The Environment Agency's star ratings for water and sewerage companies declined to 16 out of a possible 36.

Ofwat's categorisation for 2025-26 placed ten companies as good or on-track and seven as off-track, with eight receiving an improving tag; South West Water's two regions were assessed separately. The regulators said they would use enforcement powers where performance falls short, and noted companies have committed over £104 billion of investment for 2025 to 2030.