Water firms should improve their environmental practices in the long-term, the industry regulator's chief executive has suggested.
Water providers must become more environmentally conscious and develop greater sustainability practices, the industry regulator has said.
Ofwat's chief executive Regina Finn, speaking at Birmingham's International Water and Effluence Exhibition, added that the "green" changes were necessary to ensure high standards for future generations.
To help water companies make the changes, Ofwat has also introduced 25 year Strategic Direction Statements, in which companies can make their long-term sustainability aims clear. For customers, tariffs have also been proposed by the regulator in order to help users more easily measure their water demand and make changes to cut usage.
During the speech, Ms Finn said: "We believe that we need an industry that can tackle the challenges that we are facing, and that means change."
She added: "It's essential that we have a sustainable service, not just for us and our children, but for our children's children to have the same level of safe, high quality service that we have been able to enjoy."
Recent announcements from the water watchdog have also suggested that increased competition in the sector could raise the bar for sustainability.
Announcing the proposed changes, Ms Finn said: "Competition can …help respond to the environmental challenge of water scarcity… Markets could spur innovation in developing and making better use of water resources and more water efficiency services, supporting sustainable water."
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