Catalogue description Records of the Office of Water Services (OFWAT) and the Water Services Regulation Authority

The Office of Water Services (OFWAT) was established under the Water Act 1989, continuing under the Water Act 2003 until 31 March 2006. By the 2003 Act it was replaced from 1 April 2006 by the Water Services Regulatory Authority (WSRA).

At its initial establishment the WSRA indicated it would continue to refer to the regulatory organisation by the acronym OFWAT, although it would cease to use the full Office of Water Services title.

The Office of Water Services was the regulatory body for the water industry of England and Wales, working with the environment departments and agencies and the Drinking Water Inspectorate to monitor the quality of drinking, estuarine, river, and coastal water, and regulating competition matters and customer services, such as prices and standards of service and arrangements for the representation of customers. The Office was headed by a Director General of Water Services.

Under the Competition Act 1998, coming into force on 1 March 2000, the sector regulators have, with two exceptions, all the powers of the Office of Fair Trading to apply and enforce its provisions with respect to the sectors they regulate.

Regulation1/2003 of the Council of the European Union came into force on 1 May 2004. The regulation enables national competition authorities to apply European Community competition law; and it requires the national competition authorities to apply Community law where there is a potential effect on trade between member states.

The interests of water customers have been protected locally by the Consumer Service Committees from 1989, and nationally by the OFWAT National Consumer Council from 1993. New arrangements for the representation of the interests of water consumers came into effect, under the Water Act 2003.