Water firms’ performance on sewage spills ‘unacceptable’, regulator says

A tanker removes excess sewage from a pumping station in Cookham, Berkshire, in January. Credit: PA Images

The Environment Agency has criticised water companies over their “unacceptable” performance on sewage spills last year.

The regulator said five out of nine companies in England were rated as “requiring improvement” in its annual report released on Tuesday.

This included Thames Water, the UK’s biggest water supplier, which has been under fire in recent months over pollution and financial woes.

It comes as the sector faces a national crisis after years of under-investment by the privately-run firms combined with ageing water infrastructure a growing population and wetter conditions caused by climate change.

The Environment Agency said there were 47 serious pollution incidents last year – up from 44 in 2022.

Four companies – Thames Water, Southern Water, Anglian Water and Yorkshire Water – caused 90% of those incidents, it added.

WATCH: In March, polluted water could be seen running through the village of Lambourn, where sewers were backed up

Alan Lovell, chairman of the Environment Agency, said: “This is unacceptable.”

“My over-riding sense is one of frustration and disappointment,” he added. “The results we see are, yet again, simply not good enough.”

The annual report said there was a “small improvement” in environmental protection among some firms and that Severn Trent, Wessex Water and United Utilities performed well.

But the regulator said the majority are not getting the basics right, such as minimising pollution incidents and complying with permits.

Mr Lovell said the culture within some firms “can also perpetuate poor practices” and warned that the regulator will not take “bad weather” as an excuse for poor environmental performance.

He said: “Some simply do not understand the root cause of their problems and incidents are not reported in a timely manner – this is vital for improving transparency and trust across this sector.

“We know that with a changing climate, the country is going to experience more extreme weather patterns, increased rainfall and more rapid drought.

“Water companies must ensure that assets are resilient enough to withstand these challenges.”

For its part, the Environment Agency said it would introduce a tougher regulatory approach.

It outlined plans for recruiting 500 additional staff, investing in digital systems, increasing enforcement activity and quadrupling the number of water company inspections to 4,000 before April next year.

WATCH: Environment Secretary Steve Reed on the government's plans to crack down on water firms

Environment Secretary Steve Reed called the findings “shocking”.

“For too long, water companies have pumped record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. This Government will never let this happen again.”

The new Government has announced plans to crack down on water firms, including tougher fines for pollution incidents and ensuring money is invested into infrastructure rather than paid out in bonuses.

“Change will take time, and we will outline further legislation to fundamentally transform our water industry and restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good health,” Mr Reed added.

Thames Water says it recognises its performance in preventing pollution is 'still not good enough'. Credit: ITV Meridian

In a statement, Thames Water said: “Protecting the environment is fundamental to what we do and we recognise our performance in preventing pollutions is still not good enough.

“Our region has experienced the wettest winter since records began, resulting in exceptionally high groundwater and river levels. This has at times overwhelmed our sewer system and has led to discharges into rivers.

“More investment is needed across the entire sector, as infrastructure ages and demand on it increases. That’s why we’ve asked for increased investment in the next regulatory cycle between 2025-2030 so we can improve outcomes for customers, and the environment.

“Our River Health Plan highlights our ambition to deliver these changes. We are upgrading 250 of our sewage treatment works to reduce the number of storm discharges to protect the environment and eliminate the risk of incidents in the future.”

Southern Water says it accepts urgent work needs to be carried out to achieve a three-star rating. Credit: ITV Meridian

John Penicud, Southern Water's Director for Wastewater Operations, said: “Despite the wettest Winter on record we’ve reduced pollutions by 35% and we’ve been given a two-star EPA rating accordingly.

“Despite our Turnaround Plan demonstrating strong progress, the number of serious pollutions is unacceptable, and we accept that there is a lot more to do as we urgently work to achieve a three-star rating.

“To help us on this journey we are continuing to make improvements and innovations. One example is the introduction of 22,000 radar devices in manholes across our 45,000km sewer network which will help us proactively detect issues before they become pollutions.”

A spokesperson for Water UK said water companies have proposed investing a record £105 billion. Credit: PA Images

A spokesperson for Water UK, the sector’s trade association, said: “While today’s results show overall water company environmental performance has improved, it is clear there is more to be done.

“The performance of some companies, as they acknowledge, is not improving fast enough and pollution incidents remain too high.

“Water companies have proposed investing a record £105 billion to secure our water supply in the future and stop sewage entering our rivers and seas. Ofwat needs to approve these plans in full as any less will put critical improvements at risk.”

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