A joint report by UK water regulators reveals that the environmental performance of water companies worsened last year despite a £5bn investment over the past five years. Eight out of nine English companies received 'poor' or 'requiring improvement' ratings, with serious pollution remaining a major concern. While drinking water quality remains high and service disruptions have decreased, the industry received its worst-ever environmental score of 16 out of 36 stars. Water UK attributed some pollution to external factors like vandalism, but regulators noted that many funded environmental improvement schemes have not been completed. Despite these performance issues, customer bills are projected to rise by an average of 36% by 2030. In response, the government plans to overhaul the regulatory structure and potentially increase government ownership of water companies to address systemic failures and high household water consumption.