Water companies mocked over 'token' £10m fine for polluting waterways

By Steph Spyro, Deputy Political Editor

There is huge public anger over the state of the nation's waterways (Image: Getty)

Water company bosses "must be laughing" at a £10 million fine used to fund local restoration projects, campaigners have said.

More than £10 million in water company fines has been channelled towards restoring waterways affected by sewage pollution, the Government said on Friday.

The money has been ring-fenced from millions paid in fines by five water firms – Anglian Water, South West Water, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and United Utilities – after causing pollution incidents between April 2022 and October 2023.

But James Wallace, the CEO of River Action, said: “Water company bosses must be laughing at this token £10 million fine while they inflict billions of pounds worth of environmental damage. Yes, polluters should pay to clean up their mess, but penalties must be on a scale that actually hurts and drives change.

“The Water Restoration Fund needs hundreds of millions, not pocket change. And alongside that, companies must be forced to invest properly in fixing their crumbling sewage infrastructure. We urgently need tougher environmental and financial regulation. The new Secretary of State must show real leadership with serious penalties and prosecutions that wipe the smug smiles off the faces of polluters.”

Restoring riverbeds in Exmoor National Park and tackling septic tank spills into Windermere are among the 51 projects that have won funding across England.

Some of the projects aimed at cleaning up rivers, lakes and seas across England involve active restoration measures such as restoring floodplains and rewilding, while others involve assessments of water quality and the development of improvement plans.

The money has been issued through the Water Restoration Fund, which was set by the previous Conservative government to ensure fines and penalties levelled at firms went towards the environment rather than being returned to the Treasury.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: “I share people’s anger at the damage caused by sewage pollution and want communities to once again feel they can take pride in their environment.

“This money from water company fines will be directed back into local projects to tackle pollution and support long-term plans for nature restoration.

“Under our Plan for Change, we’re resetting the water industry – holding water companies to account and reinvesting in areas harmed by their rule breaking.”