Following weeks of extraordinary heatwaves across our region and the country, we have seen Anglian and Affinity water respond by implementing a hose pipe ban across our region.

The roasting days and sweltering nights have been yet another reminder that the impacts of climate change on our environment aren't just some distant threat to future generations - they're already affecting weather patterns in the here and now.

Against the backdrop of increasingly challenging weather patterns, its vital we ensure our core infrastructure is fit for the demands that come with it. But when it comes to our water, it is clear for decades we've been falling short.

While there is no doubt that recent weather will have added to the strains on our local water network, we shouldn't forget the decades of underinvestment that came before them.

Indeed, despite the growing demands on our water network, no new major reservoirs have been completed in England since 1992. It's no coincidence that this covers a near identical window to the period over which our water sector was privatised.

With little incentive to invest in infrastructure, since privatisation water companies have paid out £85 billion to shareholders, all whilst racking up debts of £60bn.

It is not just a failure to invest in reservoirs either. Every single day in the UK, we lose 3 billion litres of water to leaks. That is around 20% of all our water.

I'm glad the Government is acting. We have negotiated with the companies a £100bn plan to massively invest and upgrade our water network by 2030. Plus, we are fast-tracking plans to build 9 new reservoirs by 2050 to increase our water supplies.

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The Water (Special Measures) Act heavily beefs up regulation on these companies, with automatic monitoring, huge fines for companies and even jail time for bosses who undermine investigations. It has already led to hundreds of millions collected in fines including £60m for Anglian and millions of pounds of bonuses being blocked.

But we will need to go further. For too long we have failed to seriously take control of such a fundamental public asset, and we are all paying the price. In our bills, in our polluted waterways, and in our increasingly stretched water network.

Enough is enough. We need far more robust public control of the water sector to ensure it is truly ran in the public interest. It won't prove a silver bullet, but it is crucial if we are to face up to the scale of the current systems failings, and the scale of the challenges our changing climate will bring to bear.

With Prime Ministers changing, this is the case I will be making to colleagues in Westminster. This week's hosepipe ban is another alarm sounding on our broken water system. We haven't got a moment to waste in putting it right.