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Paul Curtis, Managing Director of Marshalls Water Management, discusses regulation, resilience and building climate-ready infrastructure for tomorrow

1. Could you share details of your career history and how you came to be in your current role? I have worked at Marshalls for over 20 years, starting in the Commercial Landscaping sales team before taking on roles across the group. I was appointed Trading Director for our linear drainage business in 2018 and became Managing Director for Water Management in 2021, where I led the successful integration of Marshalls Drainage and CPM Group.

I currently sit on the Management Committee for MPA Precast and am a Board Member of the European Precast Federation, representing the UK precast sector in Europe, which involves industry work on matters such as EU construction policy, decarbonisation, construction standards and sustainability.

2. The UK is experiencing regulatory reform for water management. From your perspective, what will this overhaul mean for how we plan and invest in future infrastructure? For many years, investment in water management has been reactive, addressing issues like flooding or pollution after they occur. We therefore welcome the regulatory reform which the UK is currently experiencing, which is the largest reform of water regulation since privatisation, and a clear shift towards a more proactive, long-term approach.

The Independent Water Commission’ s July 2025 report recommended merging Ofwat, the Environment Agency, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and other bodies into a single regulator and establishing regional planning bodies to address the challenges the UK water infrastructure system currently faces.

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