Serious pollution incidents by English water companies rose 60% last year | Water

Serious pollution incidents for water companies increased by 60% last year compared to the previous year, data revealed.

These incidents are the most prejudicial to the environment and indicate that the spill of wastewater or another pollution incident has a serious, extensive or persistent impact on the environment, people or goods. They could, for example, lead to deaths of mass fish in the rivers.

The total number of serious pollution incidents in 2024 was 75, compared to 47 in 2023, according to figures from the Environment Agency. Among these, 81% (61) were caused by three companies: Thames Water (33), Southern Water (15) and Yorkshire Water (13). The serious incidents of Thames Water have more than doubled from 14 to 33.

River Action Managing Director James Wallace said Thames Water “should be special administration to start reset.”

He said: “We need the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to empower and finance the Environment Secretary to put an end to for -profit pollution and enforce the law, supported by a credible plan to rebuild the public’s confidence.

“These figures expose a brutal truth: serious pollution incidents are increasing, the wastewater discharges remain endemic and our rivers run towards ecological collapse. It is not only a regulatory failure; It is a national shame. “

The total number of all pollution incidents in 2024 was 2,801, up 29% compared to 2,174 in 2023. The Thames was again the worst pollutor, responsible for 523 incidents, followed by English water (482), united public services (376), South Water (332), Sever Trent Water (300) (248).

Chris Weston, the director general of Thames Water, confirmed this week that the Thames had asked to be extinguished from the fines. He declared on Monday to the environmental committee, food and rural affairs of the parliament that ministers and regulators should have a “recognition of the reality of the situation”, namely that fines to pollute the waterways with wastewater cannot be paid at the same time as trying to overthrow financially.

The report, which focuses specifically on serious incidents, is the last blow after years of growing public anger in the face of wastewater leaks and the failure of England the water companies to invest properly in their infrastructure.

Alan Lovell, president of the Environment Agency, said: “This report demonstrates continuous systemic failure by certain companies to achieve their environmental objectives.

“The water industry must act urgently to prevent pollution from occurring and reacting quickly when it does.

“We have made significant changes to tighten our regulation of the water industry and ensure that companies are held to explain. With a greater workforce and increased funding, our officers discover and act on non-compliance with the environmental law. ”

Friday, the public accounts committee published a report which revealed that there were too many environmental offenses to continue each wastewater business for poor performance.

He found that companies had to spend around 12 billion pounds sterling over the next five years to improve the sewer system, but that would only resolve 44% of overflows. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs used water company fines to create a fund of 11 million pounds sterling for the improvement of the environment in 2024, but has not yet distributed money. The report recommended that the government pay the amounts promised by the end of the year and that regulators work urgently to ensure that the money collected from fines has been reinvested in improving the system.

Thames Water said: “Last year was a very difficult year for pollution performance. Problems with our sewer networks have caused a high volume of serious incidents, blockages being the main cause. The performance has been negatively impacted by precipitation above average and high levels of groundwater. Ten of the 33 incidents were on sites on hydraulic precipitation while the allowance levels allowed.

“It is important to remember that the declaration of pollution is largely a self -depressed activity by water companies. Although we recognize that our serious pollution performance has not achieved our objectives, this demonstrates our commitment to the highest transparency standards. ”

John Penicud, CEO of Southern Water for wastewater, said: “Any pollution incident is completely unacceptable. Under the new management, Southern Water has reduced the overall number of wastewater pollution by around 40% at the end of 2024 and is on the right track to extend this reduction to 70% by the end of this year.

“We know that we have a long way to go completely to completely cut pollution. It is always the case, however, that the majority of pollution of wastewater are caused by wet wipes, fats, oils and fat that are rinsed in toilets and sinks. Prohibition of wet ilatment remains the biggest step necessary to put an end to serious pollution – that everyone wants to see. ”

Yorkshire water has been contacted for comments.