Water companies are regional monopolies in the UK. The minimum standards of service and prices they can charge for water supply and sewage, are set by the government and the regulator OFWAT. This paper outlines the scope for the Environment Agency (EA) to impose higher standards on water companies than the statutory minimum, in order to generate greater environmental benefits. It investigates how the inappropriate application of the technique to assess environmental benefits by the EA leads to too many environmental schemes passing a cost–benefit test and hence how too much investment may be channelled into environmental schemes in relation to the benefits the public really receive from the improvements. By inappropriate application of environmental valuation methods, the EA is shaping public policy through institutional practice.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
October 01 2008
Evaluating environmental benefits from changes in water abstraction and waste water disposal Available to Purchase
K. G. Willis
1School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Centre for Research in Environmental Appraisal and Management, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Water Policy (2008) 10 (5): 439–458.
Article history
Received:
November 24 2005
Accepted:
September 20 2006
Citation
K. G. Willis; Evaluating environmental benefits from changes in water abstraction and waste water disposal. Water Policy 1 October 2008; 10 (5): 439–458. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2007.056
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
eBook
Pay-Per-View Access
$38.00