Valuing water and wastewater services in the UK: introduction to the special issue INTRODUCTION

At the most recent water price review in England and Wales, PR19, water companies were encouraged more than ever before by the economic regulator, Ofwat, to expand the evidence based on the value of potential improvements to water and wastewater services, and to consider new and innovative methods for doing so. The present special issue was motivated by the opportunity to take stock of the developments and invite scrutiny from a wider academic and policy audience, thereby hopefully stimulating further innovation and advancement of the techniques used. It contains six papers, including a history of willingness to pay research in the UK water sector, a meta-analysis of UK water and wastewater service valuations and four novel valuation studies conducted for PR19.