AMP8: Unprecedented £104 Billion approval for UK Water Sector – Opportunities and Challenges Ahead

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This briefing explains why AMP8 is a defining investment cycle for the UK water sector and why delivery risk will matter as much as ambition. We summarise who is impacted (companies, supply chain, customers), what’s driving the scale-up, and the economic and environmental trade-offs that will shape outcomes from 2025 to 2030.

Abstract

Ofwat’s AMP8 final determination for 2025–2030 approves £104bn of expenditure, described as the largest investment programme since privatisation. The paper reviews stakeholder impacts (including financing needs for companies and capacity pressures for contractors), customer bill implications, and macroeconomic effects such as employment and inflationary pressures. It identifies procurement constraints (skills gaps and carbon-intensive materials), summarises environmental objectives (including storm overflow reduction and biodiversity net gain), and closes with key milestones and implementation risks across the AMP8 period.

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