Farming News - EA: Campaign against water pollution continues with 96 investigations
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EA: Campaign against water pollution continues with 96 investigations
Government action is being stepped up to hold water companies to account for pollution, with 96 criminal investigations launched into non-compliance with environmental regulations since April 2025.
Investigations are launched when the Environment Agency uncovers evidence of serious breaches, such as illegal sewage spills or poorly maintained treatment facilities. Potential punishments range from immediate remedial works through to multi-million-pound fines for water companies.
This determination to crack down on wrongdoing builds on the Government’s wider work to improve the water sector – with unfair bonuses for bosses banned, and an unprecedented £104 billion of investment going into upgrading infrastructure.
It comes alongside a historic year for water company regulation and scrutiny, with the Environment Agency exceeding its ambitious target for 10,000 inspections of water treatment works and facilities – another record achievement.
These inspections have led to real-world action with over 3,000 individual demands for improvement issued to water companies, including repairing sewage works and upgrading infrastructure, to bring them back into compliance.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:
“Poor performing water companies have nowhere to hide under my watch.
“This record-breaking increase in investigations shows we are taking wrongdoing in the sector extremely seriously, with tough enforcement and swift consequences for those who fail customers and the environment.
“We will continue to use every enforcement power available to clamp down on pollution and hold offenders to account."
“We will continue to use every enforcement power available to clamp down on pollution and hold offenders to account."
Environment Agency Executive Director John Leyland said:
“At the Environment Agency we are working tirelessly to protect and improve the water environment. Water company compliance with the law is the foundation for the clean and plentiful water people rightly expect to enjoy.
“This latest round of investigations is built on a huge volume of compliance work over the last few years, and underlines our commitment to improving the industry’s performance. We will not hesitate to pursue robust enforcement when the most serious offences are uncovered.”