水务行业主管游说团体负责人警告称，若行业遭遇新一轮评级下调，水务用户可能需要向供应商额外支付每年40英镑。
Water customers face having to pay an extra £40 a year to suppliers if the industry is hit by a fresh ratings downgrade, the head of the industry's main lobbying group has warned.
天空新闻了解到，英国水务公司（Water UK）首席执行官大卫·亨德森（David Henderson）在本周由评级机构穆迪（Moody's）主办的会议上发表了上述言论。
Sky News understands that David Henderson, chief executive of Water UK, made the remark in a speech to a conference organised by Moody's, the ratings agency, this week.
任何进一步提高水费的前景都可能激怒政府部长，因为应对生活成本危机已成为安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）新政府最紧迫的优先事项。
Any prospect of further bill increases would anger ministers at a time when tackling the cost of living has become the most pressing priority for Andy Burnham's new administration.
穆迪本周警告称，鉴于对行业未来监管框架的持续不确定性，该行业面临进一步下调评级的可能——新政府至今尚未明确其计划，尽管基尔·斯塔默爵士（Sir Keir Starmer）已在一年多前承诺废除Ofwat。
Moody's warned this week that a further ratings downgrade for the industry was on the cards amid continuing uncertainty about its future regulatory framework - with the new government yet to set out its plans well over a year after Sir Keir Starmer pledged to abolish Ofwat.
穆迪的下调——尽管本周未改变其评级建议——将导致企业借贷成本上升。
A downgrade by the ratings agency - which did not change its recommendation this week - would entail higher borrowing costs for companies.
亨德森对天空新闻表示：“长期的不确定性可能导致再次下调评级，这可能使水费每年增加多达40英镑。
Mr Henderson told Sky News: "Prolonged uncertainty risks another downgrade, which could add up to £40 a year to water bills.
‘我们迫切需要政府任命新监管机构的领导层，并明确说明新体系将如何运作。’”他在本周的演讲中补充道：“政府内部或其他任何人都不希望水费上涨——但持续让关于监管的根本性问题悬而未决，恰恰会导致这种结果。”
"We urgently need the government to appoint the leadership of the new regulator and set out how the new system will work." In his speech this week, he added: "Nobody in government, or anyone else for that matter, wants higher bills - but continuing to leave fundamental questions [about regulation] unanswered risks exactly that.
他敦促伯纳姆在圣诞节前任命新水务监管机构的领导层，包括指定的主席和影子董事会，同时在过渡期间明确Ofwat的新目标。
He urged Mr Burnham to appoint the leadership of the new water regulator before Christmas, with a chair-designate and a shadow board, as well as setting out new objectives for Ofwat in the intervening period.
水务行业负责人一直在向政府部长呼吁，要求就伯纳姆反复强调希望实现“更大程度公众控制”行业的表态提供明确说明。
Water bosses have been pleading with ministers for clarity over Mr Burnham's repeated references to wanting "greater public control" of the industry.
最近几周，东南水务公司（South East Water）被迫推迟一项价值2亿英镑的债券发行，而彭宁（Pennon）则启动了一项价值5.5亿英镑的配股计划，以筹集基础设施投资资金。
In recent weeks, South East Water has been forced to postpone a £200m bond issue, while Pennon launched a £550m rights issue to raise funds for infrastructure investment.
该行业最大的参与者泰晤士水务公司仍面临被置于特别管理制度的风险，如果公司高级债权人提出的修订版救援方案被部长们否决。
The sector's biggest player, Thames Water, remains at risk of being placed into a Special Administration Regime if a revised rescue proposal from the company's senior creditors is rejected by ministers.