United Utilities is seeking regulatory approval for £1bn of investment to strengthen its network and support economic growth across the North West.
The Warrington-based water company submitted its response to Ofwat’s 2026 Cost Change Draft Decision, with proposals covering network resilience, additional water and wastewater capacity, and infrastructure to enable industrial expansion.
The submission forms part of a wider £2.5bn funding package the company expects to access over five-years, known as AMP8.
United Utilities has proposed a revised approach to industrial growth projects, with £191m of strategic infrastructure progressing through a phased approval process and £79m of asset-specific work funded directly.
The company said this risk-based structure protects customer value by aligning investment with confirmed demand while ensuring industrial growth can be supported when needed.
Operational performance is in line with expectations ahead of the company’s interim results on 12 November 2026.
The company remains on track to deliver £2bn of capital investment in the 2026/27 financial year and £11.5bn across AMP8, supporting compound growth in its asset base of around 10%.
Financial guidance for 2026/27 is unchanged, with United Utilities continuing to target regulatory returns of 10% to 11% during AMP8.
The capital programme is progressing well, the company said in a statement to the stock market this morning, with projects advancing through the investment lifecycle as planned.
Ofwat’s draft decision in response to the cost change submission had provisionally approved £958m of the company’s original £1.07bn request.
The regulator is expected to issue its final decision in December 2026.