Water companies accused of more than 3,000 environmental rule breaches
Regulators found more than 3,000 environmental violations by water companies after a record year of inspections.
The Environment Agency (EA) announced that more than 10,000 checks of water company assets were completed last year; this includes treatment works, sewage pump stations and storm overflows.
Audit teams uncovered more than 3,000 breaches of permit conditions where companies failed to comply with environmental legislation.
The EA has submitted more than 3,000 requests to water companies for improvements, including repairing sewer works and improving infrastructure.
Violations may include equipment failure, wastewater not meeting water quality standards, failure to treat the required amount of wastewater, or failure to manage the water and sewer network in accordance with permit requirements, the agency said.
This comes as more funding and 500 additional staff will allow the Environment Agency to carry out many more inspections; this number increased from 4,600 in 2024/2025 to over 10,000 this financial year.
The EA claims greater scrutiny of water companies is influencing them to manage their assets more responsibly, with 22 per cent of site visits uncovering at least one issue this year; This rate was 25 percent compared to the previous year.
Helen Wakeham, Water Director at the Environment Agency, said: “As regulators of the water industry, we are changing the way we work with better data, record levels of new staff and more power to do our job effectively.
“Inspections are a vital preventative measure as our teams have carried out more than 3,000 individual actions against water companies, including repairing sewer works and improving infrastructure.
“Together, this will deliver meaningful improvements in performance, hold persistent offenders accountable, and ultimately create a cleaner water environment.”
Water minister Emma Hardy added: “Thanks to our investment in the Environment Agency, inspectors are on the job, checking water companies’ assets at unprecedented levels and taking action where standards are not being met.
“Increased oversight of water companies, combined with our long-term reforms, will prevent problems before they arise and ensure serial offenders are punished, ensuring a healthy, sustainable water system for the future.”
James Wallace, chief executive of campaign group River Action, said water companies would discharge more than 1.8 million hours of wastewater into rivers, lakes and seas in 2025, leaving many of England’s 35 inland water areas unsafe for swimming.
“It’s good to see the government getting serious about water quality, but inspections alone won’t solve the problem.
“Prosecutions take years to reach court, and because fines are so low, water polluters cannot be properly held accountable.
“The upcoming Water Reform Bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset the system.
“The government must take back control of ownership of water companies and ensure ratepayers’ money cleans the rivers, not investors’ pockets,” he insisted.
