Government and regulators
Independent evidence for better policy, regulation and public outcomes
Government departments and regulators face growing pressure to protect people and the environment while enabling essential services, infrastructure and industry to adapt and invest.
Climate change, water security, pollution, ageing infrastructure, emerging contaminants and the transition to a circular economy are increasing the complexity of regulatory decisions. At the same time, greater public and political scrutiny is creating demand for more transparent, robust and defensible evidence. Environmental monitoring is one example where increased scrutiny means high-quality data is essential for demonstrating whether regulated organisations are meeting their obligations.
WRc helps government and regulatory organisations turn complex scientific and technical evidence into informed decisions and practical outcomes.
Building confidence in evidence and decision-making
Effective regulation depends on understanding not only what is happening, but why, what risks it creates and which interventions are most likely to deliver improvement.
WRc brings independent scientific and technical expertise to complex questions across water, wastewater, waste, resources and the environment. Our work helps public bodies strengthen the evidence behind policy and regulation, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, understand emerging risks and establish proportionate responses.
The outcome is greater confidence that decisions are grounded in robust evidence, can withstand scrutiny and will deliver meaningful benefits for people and the environment.
Independence is central to this role. WRc works across government, regulators, regulated utilities, technology providers and industry, providing a valuable perspective on how policy and regulatory objectives translate into real-world implementation.
Evidence of impact
- Informing national guidance to secure safe drinking water: The Drinking Water Inspectorate’s recent WRc study evaluated disinfection technologies across public and private supplies in England and Wales. The findings enhance sector-wide understanding of the disinfection technologies currently in use in commercial activities and will support more informed DWI guidance on effective and alternative approaches to ensuring safe drinking water.
- Informing environmental regulation: Defra commissioned WRc to investigate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in electrical and vehicle waste. The research increased the evidence available to inform regulatory discussions and provided recommendations for further investigation.