THE water system has been broken, and in Cornwall, it’s hard to miss, especially when the sea turns brown after rainfall.

You have to be hypervigilant, checking the waves and pollution alerts before using a beach. Residents have been using citizen science testing kits to collect data on water quality because water companies aren’t trusted, and there are repeated sewage spills on streets where infrastructure is failing.

The sea is integral to coastal communities, from the fishing and shellfish industry to swimming, surfing and visitors on holiday. When water quality declines, it affects not only our health and environment but also the local economy. So change can’t come soon enough.

This government is tackling the broken water system head-on. The launch of the Water White Paper is a rare opportunity to permanently change the culture of our water and sewage system and build trust.

Since coming into office, this government has secured £104-billion of private investment to upgrade infrastructure, banned unfair bonuses for water executives, made pollution cover-ups a criminal offence, and passed the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 to strengthen accountability. We are making a clear break from the past, when water companies paid themselves multimillion-pound bonuses while we watched them dumping sewage into our waters. Even Thames Water have cancelled their bonuses this year after two appearances in front of my Environment Select Committee.

The White Paper will lead to the biggest reform of the water system in a generation. It builds on the findings of the Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, which examined how regulation, ownership, and investment have failed.

The weak, fragmented regulatory system will be replaced by a new, single water regulator, who will have clear, tougher powers to intervene early, enforce standards, and hold underperforming companies to account. A chief engineer will sit inside the regulator to bring in unannounced infrastructure inspections and introduce ‘MOT’ style checks. Customers will have access to an independent Water Ombudsman who has the power to impose legally binding resolutions when complaints aren’t addressed.

The new laws will stop water companies' self-reporting on pollution, and introduce open monitoring, with publicly available data on sewage discharges and water quality. South West Water’s ‘Turning the Tide’ programme has already started by digging up Gylly carpark to put a storm overflow tank in which should reduce pollution incidents between Gyllyngvase and Swanpool by up to 95 per cent. Farming runoff, another issue for Cornwall’s waters, will be tackled through clearer national rules, increased inspections, and support for farmers.

This reform is about fairness. We want bills to be predictable and vulnerable customers to be protected. There will be a wider rollout of smart meters and mandatory efficiency labelling. And reforms to WaterSure to expand support for low-income and disabled customers, to help households facing cost-of-living pressures.

For the first time in decades, we have a government that is working to fix our water system. This is how we begin to put things right. I hope this ultimately rebuilds trust and secures a water system that works for Cornwall.