Eight regional water councils will shape water and flood investment, but the Government has not said which one covers Cheshire. Updated November 2026.
Cheshire residents could get more say over how water companies invest in their area under a Government plan announced on Thursday. Eight new regional water councils will bring local leaders, customers and businesses together to set priorities for each region.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says the councils will help shape billions of pounds of investment in water and flood infrastructure. Its announcement does not list the eight regions, so it does not yet say which council will cover Chester and Cheshire West.
United Utilities, which has a dedicated county team for Cheshire, has welcomed the plan.
What United Utilities says
Louise Beardmore, the company’s Chief Executive, said: “We strongly support the principle of bringing decision-making on water infrastructure closer to the communities we serve. In the North West, we’ve shown that when we work alongside local partners who understand the needs of their communities, we can deliver better solutions than through a one-size-fits-all national approach.”
Louise Beardmore added: “We look forward to deepening these relationships with local leaders and communities across the North West as the regional water councils take shape.”
United Utilities says its teams work in Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. It says the model is designed to strengthen local accountability and make sure investment reflects local priorities.
What the councils will do
The Government says the councils will give communities and local leaders a stronger voice on:
- sewage and water quality
- flooding
- drought and future water supplies
Local leaders have been asked to submit proposals on how they want to run the new bodies by the end of the year. Each council will then draw up a plan. It will set out the biggest pressures on the region’s water system, the choices to be made and the public and private investment that could help.
Mayors will also get new powers through the Water Bill to hold water companies to account, the Government says.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “So for the first time, local people will have a real say over what they need from their water company, whether that is cleaning up polluted rivers, building new reservoirs or protecting homes from floods.”
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said the aim was to put the public “at the heart of decision-making”, with people “shaping what their bills will be spent on, so they can see real differences happening in their communities”.
The schemes United Utilities points to
None of the three examples the company gives is in Cheshire. Louise Beardmore said: “Our work with a coalition of local stakeholders to develop the Only Rainwater solution for Windermere is a great example of this place-based, collaborative model.”
The Chief Executive added: “The same principle underpins our Integrated Water Management Plan with local authorities across Greater Manchester, and we are developing similar partnerships in the Liverpool City Region and beyond.”
- Windermere, about 80 miles north of Chester. The Only Rainwater into Windermere coalition wants a 138km underground network to carry wastewater away from the lake for treatment at a new works. Its members are United Utilities, the Lake District National Park Authority, Westmorland and Furness Council, Love Windermere, Save Windermere and the Environment Agency.
- Greater Manchester, about 30 miles east. United Utilities is working with the Combined Authority, the Environment Agency and local councils on a long-term plan covering water, wastewater, drainage and flood resilience.
- Liverpool, about 15 miles north. A £30m programme announced in June will use rain gardens, green roofs and urban wetlands to soak up rain before it reaches the sewers. The company says it will be delivered by 2030.
Closer to home, we have reported on United Utilities’ £140m digester plan at the Ellesmere Port works, a planning application lodged with Cheshire West and Chester Council in August.
What it means for you
Nothing changes yet for households in the Chester area. Neither announcement sets out a change to bills in this area, or any new scheme in Cheshire.
Three things are still unknown:
- which regional council will cover Cheshire West and Chester
- who will speak for the district on it
- how customers will be able to put their views
The Government says more on its approach to the water industry will appear in its 10-year plan for Britain, due later this year.
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