Serious water pollution in England up 60%, government says

According to the environment agency, the incidence of serious pollution by water companies has increased by 60% in a year.

In total, there were 2,801 pollution incidents in England in 2024, the highest on record in 2023 compared to 2,174.

Of these, 75 were considered to be fisheries, drinking water and human health to “severe or continuously” – above 47 last year.

Public Account Committee – A cross party group of MPs – the level of pollution is called “condolences” and said that the regulator was “missing in action” keeping in mind the regulatory industry.

The data of the environment agency comes ahead of a historic review of the water industry to publish on Monday.

Environment Secretary Steve Reid said, “These figures are derogatory and reminiscent of how the younger age and weak regulation has created a record level of sewage to pollute our rivers.”

Industry Group Water UK admitted that some companies did not perform quite good.

A Water UK spokesperson said, “The environment agency is correct to highlight under -investments in infrastructure and maintenance as the major causes of these results.”

The industry was set a target to reduce pollution incidents by 40% by 2025 as compared to the 2016 level. But it has been quite remembered – the levels reported in 2024 were more than double the original EA target.

Every year the environment agency recorded several times the number of pollution such as untreated sewage water company is released from the sites such as treatment works in the country’s waterways.

Only three companies were responsible for the vast majority of the most serious events – Tems Water (33), Southern Water (15) and Yorkshire Water (13).

“These figures highlight a cruel truth. Severe pollution incidences are increasing, sewage discharge remains largely, and our rivers are moving towards ecological collapse. This is not just regulatory failure; It is a national insult,” said James Wale, the CEO of River Action.

He said, “Temes water, the most egoistic pollutant, must be put into special administration to start the reset,” he said.

The company watched its level of severe pollution doubled, and was the worst artist to report pollution incidents to the regulator.

England has a joint sewage system, which means that both rain and sewage are processed through the same system. Last year, the rainfall level was up, which could overwhelm the infrastructure of the water company.

However, despite the variation in rainfall, discharge occurred as a result of severe pollution is a violation of their permits and legal obligations.

Many incidents are informed by the environment agency themselves by companies, but about a quarter of the 4,000 inspections performed last year were in violation of their permit.

Sir Geoffree Clifton-Brown, head of the Public Accounts Committee, who has published his report in the field, strongly criticized the government and the agency for “missing in action”.

He said, “The regulators are overwhelmed by the number of prosecution and are unable to stop companies from working illegally. The government should now work to support regulators and support their efforts to take into account companies,” he said.

The committee said that continuous events are the results of regulators – the environment agency and the ovat – “failed[ing] To ensure that water companies maintain significant infrastructure “.

It is estimated that it will take companies 700 years to change the entire water main network at current rates.

Water UK stated that the failed infrastructure resulted in refusal to allow the sector to raise bills to make necessary investments as a result of the failed infrastructure regulator.

The industry body spokesperson said, “Investment in this sector has been suppressed with a lower reduction in people’s water bills over the long -term flexibility of the network. It is eventually being kept correct, with a record £ 104 billion investment in the next 5 years,” said the spokesman of the industry body.

As a result of this investment, the Consumer Bill is expected to increase an average of £ 123 annually – However, it can be as much as £ 224 for southern water customers.

But Sir Jeffri told the BBC that the lack of investment was the fault of the industry.

“I think water companies have been withdrawing money from the water system for many years and making their investors higher. This means, we, customers have a huge cost of that interest.

He said, “Instead of improving capital investment, improving the capacity of sewage treatment plants or paying that money to renew the pipes, he said.

On Monday, Sir John Kanalif, the head of the Water Commission, will publish his recommendations how the government can change things.

Last month, in his initial findings, he echoed the PAC’s findings that “deepest, systemic and interlocking failures” were the most important of the regulators – the environment agency, defra and ovat – not to provide proper oversight.

He said, “We really need a regulator that is close to companies, which oversee them and monitors them continuously, as we do in financial services with banks – not only because they can intervene quickly … but they can support the companies to improve,” they told the BBC breakfast in June.

The next week his recommendations may include an overhaul or significant change for those regulators.