The water regulator has taken action against four more water companies, including Severn Trent and United Utilities, meaning all wastewater treatment companies in England and Wales are under investigation over sewage spills.
Ofwat is Formal notice was issued It called on Dúr Cymru Welsh Water, Hafren Dyfdwy, Severn Trent and United Utilities to provide evidence from an investigation into companies’ wastewater management in England and Wales.
Regulators looked at data on the companies’ environmental performance and the frequency of storm spills, which raised “concerns that the companies may not be meeting their obligations to protect the environment and minimize pollution,” they said.
This means that Ofwat will take enforcement action against all 11 water and sewerage companies in England and Wales over sewage pollution. Once Ofwat has completed a full investigation it will publish the results of its investigation and, if necessary, take action for breaches of their legal obligations.
Investigations into Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South West Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water began two years ago and are still ongoing. Southern Water remains under enforcement watch after being fined a record £126 million in 2019 for “shocking” failures at its wastewater treatment plants that led to pollution of rivers and beaches in the south of England.
Along with the Environment Agency, regulators are investigating water companies over suspected widespread illegal sewage discharges across the entire water network from thousands of treatment works. The investigation has been ongoing for more than two years.The findings of the investigation have not yet been made public.
An analysis of the latest data released in March found that more than 2,000 overflow tanks owned by various companies were dumping untreated sewage into rivers and the ocean.
David Black, Ofwat chief executive, said: “The fact that Ofwat is now enforcing measures against all 11 sewerage companies in England and Wales shows how concerned we are about the sector’s environmental performance. We will continue to act where companies are found to be breaching their obligations. Over the past few years we have issued more than £300 million in fines and payments to water and sewerage companies.”
“This is the largest and most complex investigation Ofwat has ever carried out. However, Ofwat is committed to resolving these cases as quickly as possible, allowing industry to focus the £88 billion of spending that will be freed up by the 2024 pricing review on delivering cleaner rivers and seas. As part of this investment package, £10 billion has been allocated to address storm flooding, targeting to reduce runoff from storm flooding by 44%.”
Severn Trent recently announced a programme to significantly reduce its use of stormwater floodwaters, which was welcomed by Ofwat.
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Last week the Water Board was criticised for allowing water companies to increase rates by an average of 21% over five years, or £94, to fund improvements to environmental standards at a time when customers are enduring poor service, sewage dumping and leaks – a move described as a “bitter pill” by new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.
Clean water campaigners, including former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey, argue that customers are effectively paying double and should not be paying for infrastructure investments that should already have been made to comply with the companies’ operating licences.
Severn Trent and United Utilities said they would work “constructively” with Ofwat.
