Image source, Getty Images
- Author, Faarea Masud
- Role, BBC News business reporter
-
Eleven water and wastewater companies in England and Wales are now under scrutiny over the spill, after the regulator said it was widening its investigation.
On Tuesday, Ofwat opened enforcement cases against four more companies – Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Severn Trent and United Utilities – as part of its investigation into how the companies managed their sewage treatment plants and networks.
The investigation began in 2021 and if violations are found, the company will be fined.
Ofwat chief executive David Black said the latest move showed “how concerned we are about the environmental performance of the sector”.
Water suppliers have faced increased scrutiny over their environmental and financial performance, as well as executive bonuses and pay.
In May, the BBC revealed that millions of litres of raw sewage was being illegally pumped into one of Britain’s most famous lakes, Windermere in the Lake District, after it had become damaged, and that United Utilities failed to stop what it found to be illegal pollution.
Water companies can release untreated sewage into rivers and the sea during rainy seasons to prevent flooding in homes, but such spills are illegal during dry weather.
Announcing the four firms facing new enforcement action, Ofwat said its investigation had highlighted “concerns that these companies may not be meeting their obligations to protect the environment and minimise pollution”.
The regulator already has enforcement cases against Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South West Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water.
Southern Water also remains the target of enforcement scrutiny following a previous case in 2019, Ofwat said. The company was fined £90m in 2021 after pleading guilty to 6,971 “unauthorised discharges”.
“Where we find companies have breached their obligations, we will continue to take action – over the past few years, we have imposed more than £300m in fines and payments on water and wastewater companies,” Mr Black said.
United Utilities said in a statement: “We understand and share the community’s concerns about the environmental health and operation of the wastewater system.”
A Hafren Dyfrdwy spokesman said the firm would “ensure we are not the cause of unhealthy rivers in Wales by 2030” and would “rapidly reduce” pollution spills.
Severn Trent said it had recently announced a £1 billion programme to reduce its impact on the river to “almost zero by 2030”.
Dŵr Cymru said it would “not shy away from the challenges we face”.
Last year, the Environment Agency said in its annual review that the number of serious pollution incidents was “unacceptably high”, and that water companies needed to act “further and more quickly”.
