Liberal Democrats Call for “No Time to Waste” in Punishing Water Companies for Breaching Permits
New data obtained by the Liberal Democrats revealed that the nine water companies in England breached their environmental permits 695 times last year, leading to public outrage over the polluted state of the country’s waterways. The figure is significantly higher than the previous two years, but not as high as the 841 breaches in 2020.
Amidst this controversy, it was also revealed that the former Tory water minister had tried to obscure headline figures about the extent of sewage spills in March. This has prompted the Liberal Democrats, whose support is strongest in rural constituencies, to call for an industry crackdown. The party’s environment spokesperson Tim Farron stated, “These polluting firms are breaching their permits on an almost daily basis, all whilst pocketing massive bonuses and profits. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.”
The Liberal Democrats are demanding an immediate ban on all executive bonuses and a complete reform of the industry. MP Layla Moran also suggested turning the companies into “public benefit companies” to ensure that taxpayers are not responsible for bailing them out.
According to the Freedom of Information request to the Environment Agency, a third of the violations (250) were due to companies discharging untreated sewage into waterways. This is allowed as an emergency measure during heavy rain to avoid sewers backing up into people’s homes. Other violations include failing to properly maintain the countryside or access and damaged signage.
Severn Trent, Southern Water, and United Utilities were named as the worst offenders, with Severn Trent making 132 breaches in 2023. A spokesperson from Water UK, which represents the water industry, stated, “The latest data confirms that water company compliance is extremely high, with around 99% of sewage treatment works and storm overflows meeting their permits.” They also added that the industry is committed to reaching 100% compliance and has proposed a combined £105bn investment to upgrade the system.
In light of these revelations, the government has emphasized its commitment to addressing the issue. A spokesperson for Defra stated, “The new government will never look the other way while water companies pump record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.” They also highlighted measures such as ringfencing investment to prevent it from being diverted for bonuses or dividends, proposing criminal charges and a bonus ban for law-breaking bosses, and seeking private sector investment to repair the country’s sewer system.
This week, Greenpeace published emails that showed the former Tory water minister, Robbie Moore, trying to obscure figures showing an increase in sewage spills into the country’s rivers and seas. The minister had pressured the Environment Agency to mask the total number of spills in the days leading up to the general election. However, the EA refused to comply, with its chief executive Philip Duffy stating that hiding the figures would be “counter-productive” and could damage the agency and the government’s reputation.
The Conservative Party declined to comment on the matter, and Robbie Moore has not responded to a request for comment. However, an Environment Agency spokesperson stated, “The Environment Agency is fully committed to transparency.”
