Serious water pollution incidents up by 60% in England
A new report from the Environment Agency found that the number of water company pollution incidents across England rose sharply last year.
According to the report, the number of serious pollution incidents increased by 60% in 2024 compared with 2023, with all nine water and sewerage companies in the region showing consistently poor performance.
In 2024, the Environment Agency said that 75 category 1 (major) and 2 (significant) incidents were recorded, with 81% of these incidents being caused by just three companies, Thames Water, Southern Water, and Yorkshire Water.
Thames Water alone was responsible for 33 of the 75 major or significant water pollution incidents recorded in 2024.
Pollution spills from pipes carrying wastewater uphill are increasing in frequency, and where they occur they can impact protected waters for wildlife or swimming.
The Environment Agency said that the reasons for this sharp rise in pollution incidents could be attributed to water companies underinvesting in new infrastructure and poor maintenance of their existing systems, as well as climate change.
“This report demonstrates continued systemic failure by some companies to meet their environmental targets,” said Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell.
“The water industry must act urgently to prevent pollution from occurring and to respond rapidly when it does.”
“We have made significant changes to tighten our regulation of the water industry and ensure companies are held to account. With a dedicated larger workforce and increased funding, our officers are uncovering and acting on failures to comply with environmental law.”
