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Is the water sector really recession-proof?

When recession hit, environmental consultancies looked around and thought ‘water’. But as economic conditions have worsened the water industry has sought to distance itself from any suggestion that it can single-handedly support the country’s increasingly idle engineers, designers and environmental consultants. Erin Gill investigates

01-May-09 

On 7 April, the UK’s water companies submitted final business plans for the 2010-2015 period to the regulator Ofwat. Although Ofwat is expected to give some indication of its response to each company’s plan in July it will not be until November that final decisions are made about the capital investment programmes the water firms will commit themselves to for the 2010-2015 fifth asset management programme (AMP5) and how much they will be allowed to charge their customers. Until Ofwat makes a move, water companies will commission little work, leaving consultancies to wait in the wings.