Ofwat is the British watchdog for water. It watches the companies that supply tap water and take away sewage, mainly in England and Wales. Its job is to see that the water is safe, that the environment is not simply dumped on, and that customers are not charged unfair prices. Like Ofgem, it is a referee, not the company that sends your bill. The name is from office and water; people just say Ofwat. You will see it in UK news when reservoirs run low, when leaks waste huge amounts of drinking water, or when bills are going up. It does not run the taps in Scotland or Northern Ireland, which have their own arrangements — though headlines still call it a “UK” body. For a learner, the useful picture is: Ofgem is energy, Ofwat is water, Ofsted is schools. Three short Of- names, three different referees.