Water Regulator for England and Wales to give UCD EGA Annual Lecture

The 2013 Annual Lecture of the UCD Engineering Graduates Association will be given on May 8th next in the Engineering Building Belfield by Regina Finn who is Water Regulator for England and Wales.

Regina Finn, Chief Executive of OFWAT - Water Regulator for England and Wales

With the imminent setting up of the new Irish Water utility by Bord Gais a large and representative attendance is expected to attend including Irish Water/Bord Gais, NewEra,  Government Departments, Regulators, Local Authorities, Consultants, Contractors, Media and the General Public.

Regina Finn is the Chief Executive of OFWAT - Water Regulation Authority for England and Wales. She has extensive previous experience regulating electricity and gas sectors in Ireland in the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) followed by a period in  telecommmunications, post and electricity services as Regulator in Guernsey and as Communications Regulator in Ireland. Regina is also a Non Executive Director of Mutual Energy Holdings.

Greatest interest in the lecture will focus on the evolution and current status and compliance of domestic water charging and metering schemes for water supplies in England and Wales together with the asset management and business plans of the UK water authorities and companies. There will also be interest in the UK water leakage levels compared to the Irish situation and the various investment programmes to reduce leakage linked to new source development, security of supply and water quality standards.

Since her appointment to the post of Water Regulator, Regina has faced and overcome considerable challenges to balance the competing issues of customer service with the charging regime to cover capital, operating and whole life costs within social and environmental concerns. I have seen her on BBC News defending her position as independent Regulator and she is quite formidable under media questioning.

I confidently expect a big attendance at this year's lecture largely due to the quality of the Speaker but also because the subject of Water Regulation is currently so alive in political and media circles. I will have the pleasure of chairing the Annual Lecture 2013 which commences at 7pm followed by a Question and Answer session in the UCD Engineering Building on May 8th next.