Fines for polluting water companies to rise 1,000-fold to £250m under plans to clean up rivers and seas, government says
2 years, 3 months ago

Fines for polluting water companies to rise 1,000-fold to £250m under plans to clean up rivers and seas, government says

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The new environment secretary, Ranil Jayawardena, has said the government will act to clean up the UK’s rivers and seas with considerable rises to maximum fines for polluting water companies. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Mr Jayawardena announced plans for up to a 1,000-fold increase in civil fines for water companies which illegally breach permit conditions. In a statement on Monday, the government defended the legislation as “the most significant investment and delivery programme ever undertaken by water companies to protect people and the environment”. “And, if they don’t deliver, I can confirm to you today that we will take forward plans to lift the Environment Agency’s maximum civil fine for each individual breach of the rules from up to just £250,000, to up to £250m.” In a statement ahead of Mr Jayawardena’s announcement at the Conservative Party conference, the government said: “The environment secretary also made clear that the environment, food production and economic growth go hand in hand.” It is not clear what this statement means as the connections between the economy, the food system and the environment are long established.

Environment Water Investment Plans Water Companies Jayawardena Mr Jayawardena  250m  means  investment  water  fines  maximum  polluting  companies  clean  seas  plans  rise  statement  rivers  sewage  environment  rules  climate

History of this topic

How water firms could rinse the taxpayer
3 weeks, 1 day ago

How water firms could rinse the taxpayer

The Independent  

It was probably not the best day for the water industry regulator to announce that average bills in England and Wales will increase by 36 per cent over the next five years. Its debts of around £18bn are simply too large to service without swingeing increases in bills and possible taxpayer assistance – subsidies that will end up in the …

Households to face average £86 hike to water bills next year alone
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Households to face average £86 hike to water bills next year alone

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Households in England and Wales …

Thames Water slapped with £18m fine by Ofwat for dishing out 'unjustified' dividends
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Thames Water slapped with £18m fine by Ofwat for dishing out 'unjustified' dividends

Daily Mail  

Thames Water has been handed an £18.2million fine after regulator Ofwat used powers to crack down on firms paying 'unjustified' dividends for the first time. The regulator said Thames Water made interim dividend payouts totalling £37.5million to its holding company, Thames Water Utilities Holdings Limited, in October last year and further payouts of about £158.3million in March 2024. The ruling …

Water bills set to surge by 36%, regulator Ofwat says
Trending News
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Water bills set to surge by 36%, regulator Ofwat says

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Average water bills in England and Wales will increase by …

Household water bills to rise by an average £31 a year from April
Top News
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Household water bills to rise by an average £31 a year from April

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Household water bills in England …

Government breached law by allowing water firms to discharge sewage, watchdog finds
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Government breached law by allowing water firms to discharge sewage, watchdog finds

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Summary The Office for Environmental Protection ruled that the UK government and regulatory bodies …

Households ‘to be hit with hike in water bills of at least 20 per cent’ sparking backlash
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Households ‘to be hit with hike in water bills of at least 20 per cent’ sparking backlash

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Households are going to be hit with a hike in water …

Thames Water boss defends bonuses and repeats calls for steep bills hikes
1 month ago

Thames Water boss defends bonuses and repeats calls for steep bills hikes

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Regulator Ofwat revealed in November that Thames Water was …

Water firms blocked from using billpayer cash for ‘unjustifiable’ bonuses
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Water firms blocked from using billpayer cash for ‘unjustifiable’ bonuses

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Troubled Thames Water is among …

Water Pollution Protests in London: A Call for Clean Water and Environmental Justice
2 months, 1 week ago

Water Pollution Protests in London: A Call for Clean Water and Environmental Justice

Associated Press  

Thousands of people marched in London on Sunday to demand a cleanup of Britain's sewage-tainted waterways. The march was organized by various environmental groups and focused on the issue of water pollution caused by private companies that provide both water and sewage. The march highlighted the high-profile issue of water pollution in Britain, which has become increasingly prominent due to …

Polluting water companies to face lighter punishments despite public outrage
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Polluting water companies to face lighter punishments despite public outrage

The Telegraph  

Failing water companies face lighter punishments under a climbdown being prepared by the industry regulator, risking an increase in leakages, water supply interruptions, and pollution. Investors in Britain’s water sector have rounded on the watchdog, claiming its hardline stance risks deterring further foreign investment in the industry at a time when it is crying out for billions of pounds of …

Water companies push for higher bills again as customers face up to 84% hike
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Water companies push for higher bills again as customers face up to 84% hike

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

What are the latest penalties for water firms, and will they reduce bills?
3 months ago

What are the latest penalties for water firms, and will they reduce bills?

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The regulator said firms were missing their targets on …

Water firms to return £158m to customers over leaks and pollution failings
3 months ago

Water firms to return £158m to customers over leaks and pollution failings

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Water companies will have to …

Water companies ordered to pay back £158m to customers
3 months ago

Water companies ordered to pay back £158m to customers

The Telegraph  

Water companies have been ordered to return £158m to households as they were rebuked over their poor performance. It comes after water companies’ sewage spills into English rivers and seas more than doubled last year, adding to growing public outrage over the privatised utilities sector. Ofwat chief executive David Black warned that water companies kept blaming “outside causes” rather than …

Water nationalisation comes with more-than £99 billion price tag, minister warns
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Water nationalisation comes with more-than £99 billion price tag, minister warns

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nationalising water firms would cost …

Public told to cut water use as Steve Reed warns water bosses they could face prison for polluting rivers
4 months ago

Public told to cut water use as Steve Reed warns water bosses they could face prison for polluting rivers

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. More than nine in 10 people think they use “vastly” …

The UK says water bosses could face prison under plans to clean up sewage-clogged rivers
4 months ago

The UK says water bosses could face prison under plans to clean up sewage-clogged rivers

Associated Press  

LONDON — The bosses of water companies that pollute waterways could go to prison under a new law the British government says will help clean up the country’s sewage-clogged rivers, lakes and beaches. The private companies that provide combined water and sewage services routinely discharge sewage into waterways when rain overwhelms sewer systems often dating from the Victorian era. Environment …

Water bosses could face prison time under Labour over dumping sewage into Britain’s rivers and lakes
4 months ago

Water bosses could face prison time under Labour over dumping sewage into Britain’s rivers and lakes

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Sewage was pumped into Cumbria’s Lake Windermere in September 2022 …

What will it cost to finally clean up our water industry?
4 months, 1 week ago

What will it cost to finally clean up our water industry?

The Independent  

These are only some of the problems facing the water industry – and a row has erupted about how much money will be needed to solve them. Water UK, the industry’s lobby group, is unhappy about Ofwat’s decision to allow average household bills to rise by £94 per household over the next five years. that its draft decision to cut …

Thames Water proposes huge new bills hike
4 months, 1 week ago

Thames Water proposes huge new bills hike

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In its response to Ofwat’s draft determination on water companies’ …

Water suppliers brace for £2bn in sewage fines
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Water suppliers brace for £2bn in sewage fines

The Telegraph  

Britain’s troubled water sector is facing the threat of £2bn in penalties over the next five years, as regulator Ofwat attempts to crack down on sewage failings. A report by the ratings agency Moody’s has predicted that tougher rules on pollution will spark a flood of regulatory fines, burdening many businesses already struggling to stay afloat. In Moody’s latest assessment …

Every single water company in England and Wales now facing huge sewage investigation by regulator
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Every single water company in England and Wales now facing huge sewage investigation by regulator

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Britain’s water industry regulator is …

Water customers to receive up to £2k compensation payments for serious service failures
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Water customers to receive up to £2k compensation payments for serious service failures

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Water customers will start receiving higher rates of compensation for …

British water firms fined for sewage pollution
5 months ago

British water firms fined for sewage pollution

China Daily  

A van for the water treatment company Thames Water, is driven along a residential street in Guildford, southern England, Aug 6, 2024. Three major water utility companies in the United Kingdom face 168 million pounds in fines for numerous illegal sewage releases into rivers and coastal waters. Ofwat stated that the water companies "failed to ensure that discharges of untreated …

Mapped: Sewage in English rivers as water companies face £168m in combined fines
5 months ago

Mapped: Sewage in English rivers as water companies face £168m in combined fines

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Water regulator Ofwat …

Campaigners welcome £168m sewage fines but warn of ‘broken’ water industry
5 months ago

Campaigners welcome £168m sewage fines but warn of ‘broken’ water industry

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Campaigners have welcomed the multimillion-pound …

Three of England’s biggest water companies face £168m in fines over sewage spills
5 months ago

Three of England’s biggest water companies face £168m in fines over sewage spills

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Industry regulator Ofwat has proposed £168m of fines for three …

Ofwat proposes £168m in fines for three water companies over sewage spills
5 months ago

Ofwat proposes £168m in fines for three water companies over sewage spills

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ofwat has proposed £168 million …

Sewage spills are STILL rising in the UK with companies failing to get crisis under control, Environment Agency warns in damning report
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Sewage spills are STILL rising in the UK with companies failing to get crisis under control, Environment Agency warns in damning report

Daily Mail  

Sewage spills are still rising in the UK with water companies failing to get the crisis under control, the Environment Agency has warned in a damning report The agency said there were 47 serious pollution incidents last year – up from 44 in 2022. Shocking photos from August 2022 showed how Lake Windermere in the Lake District turned bright green …

Every river in England is polluted, new Environment Secretary Steve Reed warns as he backs 'severe fines' for utilities illegally pumping sewage into lakes and waterways
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Every river in England is polluted, new Environment Secretary Steve Reed warns as he backs 'severe fines' for utilities illegally pumping sewage into lakes and waterways

Daily Mail  

Every single river in England is polluted, the new Environment Secretary claimed today as he backed new 'severe fines' for water companies. He spoke out after regulator Ofwat last week revealed all 11 water firms in England and Wales are under scrutiny as part of a major investigation into sewage pollution in rivers. He spoke out after regulator Ofwat last …

Every river in the country is polluted, Environment Secretary warns
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Every river in the country is polluted, Environment Secretary warns

The Telegraph  

Every single river in the country is polluted, the Environment Secretary has said as he warned that water companies have been covering up the true scale of sewage spills. Steve Reed said he is “not surprised” that people are worried about swimming in the sea, lakes and rivers around the country as there is no “guarantee” that the water is …

New regulations as Labour tries to answer public anger over water companies
5 months, 3 weeks ago

New regulations as Labour tries to answer public anger over water companies

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Government is bringing in …

Troubled Thames Water braces for enormous fines in latest Ofwat crackdown
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Troubled Thames Water braces for enormous fines in latest Ofwat crackdown

The Telegraph  

Thames Water is bracing for an avalanche of fresh fines running into the hundreds of millions of pounds as it battles to stave off emergency nationalisation. The Telegraph understands Thames is facing steep penalties from Ofwat, the industry regulator, for a catalogue of mistakes and scandals including unsanctioned dividend payments, sewage dumping, and missing basic performance targets. Ofwat is also …

Household water bills to rise by £19 a year under draft proposals
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Household water bills to rise by £19 a year under draft proposals

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Ofwat chief executive David Black said: “Customers want to …

Environment Secretary sets out plan as he meets water chiefs
6 months ago

Environment Secretary sets out plan as he meets water chiefs

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy New Environment Secretary Steve Reed …

Consumers set to learn of likely water bill rises over next five years
6 months ago

Consumers set to learn of likely water bill rises over next five years

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Consumers in England and Wales …

Welsh Water boss claims ‘good progress’ despite 20% surge in pollution incidents
7 months ago

Welsh Water boss claims ‘good progress’ despite 20% surge in pollution incidents

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Wales’ largest water company saw …

Here’s how our water crisis could be fixed – without costly nationalisation
7 months, 1 week ago

Here’s how our water crisis could be fixed – without costly nationalisation

The Independent  

It was always going to happen, of course. Talking to industry experts and analysing the legal aspects, has seen him produce a paper: “Action to Change UK Water Companies: incentives to invest”. Currently, water companies are vertically integrated regional monopolies – in essence, they do everything regarding water and they face no competition in their local area. It has the …

Thames Water could dump more sewage in rivers under ‘recovery regime’
7 months, 1 week ago

Thames Water could dump more sewage in rivers under ‘recovery regime’

The Telegraph  

Thames Water and other struggling utility companies will be allowed to release more sewage into Britain’s rivers under controversial plans being drawn up by regulators. Ofwat, the industry watchdog, is reportedly considering a new “recovery regime” for troubled water suppliers, similar to the special measures system imposed on failing schools. It comes ahead of the summer period, when water companies …

Revealed: Interactive map shows where overloaded sewage pipes could burst again because water companies say it is 'not cost beneficial' to upgrade - but is YOUR home at risk?
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Revealed: Interactive map shows where overloaded sewage pipes could burst again because water companies say it is 'not cost beneficial' to upgrade - but is YOUR home at risk?

Daily Mail  

Britain's greatest beauty spots and most stunning waterways are being continually polluted by water companies who say it is 'not cost beneficial' to upgrade the network to prevent leakage in half of all cases, MailOnline can reveal. Data analysis by MailOnline shows water firms decided there was 'no cost beneficial solution' to prevent 280 discharge sites in England that, due …

Steve Coogan blasts water company ‘greenwashing’ over Lake Windermere pollution
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Steve Coogan blasts water company ‘greenwashing’ over Lake Windermere pollution

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Steve Coogan has accused United …

Britain's filthiest rivers are revealed as sewage is dumped in waterways across the country: But is YOUR area on the list?
9 months, 1 week ago

Britain's filthiest rivers are revealed as sewage is dumped in waterways across the country: But is YOUR area on the list?

Daily Mail  

England's 20 dirtiest rivers were revealed yesterday as campaigners called for a new Blue Flag status to protect them from pollution. It was followed by the River Avon where Wessex Water dumped 32,500 hours worth of sewage, then the River Severn which experienced more than 30,000 hours of discharging by Severn Trent Water. The River Avon in Wiltshire, where Wessex …

Raw, free-flowing sewage seems apt after 14 years of Tory rule
9 months, 1 week ago

Raw, free-flowing sewage seems apt after 14 years of Tory rule

The Independent  

Privatised water companies dumped raw sewage into England’s waterways for 3.6 million hours in 2023, which is up from 1.7 million in 2022. Things are so bad that rowers taking part in Saturday’s Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race have been advised not to enter the Thames after high levels of E.coli were found in the river – the direct consequence …

Five water firms in court over allegations of under-reporting pollution
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Five water firms in court over allegations of under-reporting pollution

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Five UK water companies have …

Welsh Water to pay out almost £40m after misleading over poor performance
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Welsh Water to pay out almost £40m after misleading over poor performance

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Welsh Water has been ordered …

Thames Water crisis prompts warning that fines could trigger collapse
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Thames Water crisis prompts warning that fines could trigger collapse

The Telegraph  

Water suppliers such as Thames Water are at risk of collapsing into administration if they are fined for bad behaviour, MPs have warned, potentially landing taxpayers with a multi-billion pound bailout bill. The Telegraph revealed on Friday that Whitehall officials are drawing up contingency plans to prepare for the possible collapse of Britain’s largest supplier, which serves 15 million customers …

Ban water company chief executive bonuses, Labour to tell Commons
1 year, 1 month ago

Ban water company chief executive bonuses, Labour to tell Commons

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Labour will strengthen regulation to make sure every single …

Prosecuting water companies does not improve environment, says watchdog boss
1 year, 1 month ago

Prosecuting water companies does not improve environment, says watchdog boss

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. When asked by MPs why NRW is not prosecuting water companies for illegal sewage dumping, the regulator’s CEO, Clare …

Labour would put water industry under special measures to ‘clean up toxic mess’
1 year, 3 months ago

Labour would put water industry under special measures to ‘clean up toxic mess’

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The water industry will be put “under special measures” and forced to “clean up their …

Discover Related