Water companies’ pollution record in England described as criminal by Environment Agency
Body calls for prison sentences for failing chief executives and board members
The environmental performance of England’s water companies is so poor that the Environment Agency (EA) has called for prison sentences for chief executives and board members whose firms are responsible for the worst pollution. It also wants courts to impose much higher fines for serious and deliberate pollution incidents.
The EA’s annual report on England’s nine water companies focuses on treatment of domestic wastewater and sewage. It says the industry has not reduced the number of pollution incidents or increased compliance with conditions for discharging treated wastewater. In total, there were 62 serious incidents in 2021 – the highest since 2013. The worst performers were Southern Water and South West Water.