Serious pollution incidents by water companies surged by 60 per cent last year, marking a major setback in the Government’s efforts to fix the sewage crisis in Britain’s seas and waterways.
The Environment Agency (EA) found that 75 serious pollution incidents took place in 2024 – up from 47 in 2023. It condemned the rise as a “systemic failure” by water firms to meet their environmental targets.
More than 80 per cent of the incidents were caused by Thames Water, which was responsible for 33 serious water pollution events.
This comes just days after the firm, which serves 16 million customers across Greater London and south-east England, reported a £1.6bn loss and warned it could collapse into temporary nationalisation if it does not imminently agree on a rescue plan with its creditors.
Southern Water, which has around 2.7 million customers across South East England, reported 15 incidents last year – the second highest number.
Yorkshire Water, which serves 5.7 million customers, reported 13 incidents in 2024 – a rise from just 5 in 2023.
Pollution incidents are divided into four categories, depending on their impact on “human health, quality of life or the environment“.
The 75 serious water pollution incidents were classified as either category one and two, meaning they had a “major” or “significant” impact on human health, quality of life or the environment.
Despite the overall rise in serious pollution incidents, some companies reported a lower number last year when compared to 2023.
Anglian Water, which has over six million customers across the east of England and Hartlepool, reported the largest decrease in serious pollution incidents, from 11 in 2023 to 7 in 2024.
Meanwhile, Wessex Water, which has nearly 3 million customers in the South West, reported zero incidents in 2024 after causing just one in 2023.
The EA cited persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance and reduced resilience due to the impacts of climate change as the main reasons behind the increase in pollution incidents last year.
Cat Hobbs, founder of the We Own It campaign group, said: “These shocking figures on serious pollution incidents are the latest indicator of a water sector in total chaos.”
She accused private shareholders of “stuffing their pockets with gold” since the privatisation of the water industry in the 1980s, saying: “They’ve killed our rivers and let the infrastructure crumble, whilst billpayers pick up the tab.
“Market competition just doesn’t work in a sector where so-called customers can’t vote with their feet and switch suppliers.”
Ms Hobbs called on Environment Secretary Steve Reed to “stop this madness and protect the public” by bringing water firms back under public ownership.
A spokesperson for industry representative Water UK acknowledged that the “performance of some companies is not good enough”, vowing that £104bn will be invested over the next 5 years to “secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas”.
The latest figures on serious pollution incidents come after EA data released in May showed that raw sewage was dumped into England’s rivers, lakes and coastal areas for a record 3.6 million hours in 2024.
The spills’ duration increased slightly from 3.606 million hours in 2023 to 3.614 million hours in 2024.
While water companies said the number of incidents of discharges had reduced by 2 per cent to 450,398, the duration of raw sewage poured into waterways increased, meaning sewage spills lasted longer on average.
The i Paper’s Save Britain’s Rivers campaign, which has called on ministers to reform the water regulators, hailed a major success on Friday after plans were announced to scrap the industry’s economic regulator, Ofwat.
It is currently unclear how far the overhaul will go, but sources told The i Paper the regulator could be scrapped in name only or merged with parts of the EA.
square NEWS Save Britain's RiversFailing water regulator Ofwat scrapped after spike in worst sewage spills
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A Water UK spokesperson said: “While there have been some improvements it is clear that the performance of some companies is not good enough. The EA is right to highlight underinvestment in infrastructure and maintenance as the major causes of these results.
“Investment in the sector has been suppressed with Ofwat prioritising short-term cuts to people’s water bills over the long-term resilience of the network.
“This is finally being put right, with a record £104bn investment over the next 5 years to secure our water supplies, support economic growth and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.
“However, fundamental change to regulation is also needed. We hope that the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission next week will ensure the sector continues to get the investment it needs to drive down pollution incidents.”
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