Can the UK water sector deliver on record investment and regulatory reform while keeping pipes, plants and networks running reliably on the ground?

The water industry is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. Following the Government's January 2026 White Paper,  A New Vision for Water, plans are underway to overhaul regulation and unlock more than £104 billion in secured investment for network upgrades, treatment capacity and storm overflow reduction. At the same time, this summer saw the most widespread drought restrictions since 2022, with seven Temporary Use Bans in force across England, placing renewed pressure on asset performance, leakage reduction and day-to-day network resilience.

Against this backdrop, the sector faces a dual challenge: translating policy and investment commitments into deliverable projects on the ground, while managing ageing infrastructure, flow measurement accuracy, instrumentation upgrades and treatment capacity under increasing operational strain, all with new performance and compliance standards to meet.

The Institute of Government & Public Policy is proud to present The Future of Water Show which has been designed to bring together water companies, contractors, regulators, investors and industry suppliers to bridge the gap between policy direction and operational delivery. The Future of Water Show will explore what the new regulatory settlement means in practice, how the sector can secure sustainable investment, and what the future of the water sector looks like.