Staggered finish to smooth water spending programmes.

The article reports on a consultation paper to be published by the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) that will propose the introduction of late finishes to agreed portions of water firms' five-year Asset Management Plans (AMP) in England and Wales in 2007. Ofwat officials hope this will help prevent the drought in work that traditionally marks the start of each AMP period. It is also hoped that it will ease the deluge of contracts towards each period's end.