Amid Public Outrage, UK Water Firms Face Severe Backlash for Nearly 700 Permit Breaches

Demands for sanctions against water companies following disclosures of permit violations

Newly accessed information reveals that water companies violated environmental regulations nearly 700 times last year, according to documents released under a Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats. This disclosure coincides with reports that a previous Conservative minister attempted to conceal crucial information regarding sewage contamination, a matter that has provoked significant public outrage.

Climate journalist @SeabrookClimate

Friday, August 9, 2024, at 3

The Liberal Democrats have stressed the urgency for the government to take immediate action against the "disgraced" water companies, following new data revealing permit violations for sewage discharges.

Last year, England's nine water firms violated their environmental licenses 695 times, frequently by discharging untreated sewage into rivers and streams illegally, according to information obtained through a Freedom of Information request.

The number significantly exceeds those of the past two years, though it falls short of the 841 recorded in 2020.

Amidst widespread outrage regarding the contamination of the nation's rivers and streams, it was disclosed by Greenpeace that the previous Conservative water minister attempted in March to downplay key statistics concerning the magnitude of sewage discharges.

The Liberal Democrats, who have a strong base in rural areas, have vigorously campaigned on issues of sewage and polluted water.

On Friday, it reiterated its demands for stricter regulations in the industry.

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Environment spokesperson Tim Farron commented, "These companies are violating their permits nearly every day, all the while collecting huge bonuses and profits. Quite frankly, it reeks of corruption."

"The newly elected administration must act swiftly to penalize these discredited companies."

He advocated for an immediate cessation of all executive bonuses, followed by a thorough overhaul of the entire industry.

Layla Moran, a fellow party MP, suggested to Sky News that the reforms should involve transforming these companies into "public benefit companies."

"She emphasized the importance of the situation, noting that it's beneficial and crucially, it wouldn't burden the taxpayer with the responsibility of a bailout."

Based on a Freedom of Information request to the Environment Agency, one-third of the infractions (250 in total) involved firms releasing raw sewage into rivers and streams.

Water companies can implement this as a temporary solution when there's substantial rainfall to prevent sewer overflow into residential areas, since both stormwater and sewage share the same drainage system.

The firms are also reprimanded for other violations, such as neglecting the maintenance of rural areas or access routes, or for having damaged signs.

In 2023, Severn Trent led the pack with 132 violations, marking it as the top violator among water firms. Southern Water and United Utilities were close behind, each recording 108 violations.

A spokesperson from Defra stated: "The incoming administration is committed to addressing the issue of water companies discharging unprecedented amounts of sewage into our rivers, lakes, and oceans."

They said it has already secured investment in a way that prevents it from being used for bonuses or dividends.

The proposal includes instituting criminal penalties and prohibiting bonuses for executives who violate the law, and aims to draw private investment to fix the nation's deteriorating sewage infrastructure.

A representative from Water UK, the body that represents the water sector, stated: "Recent figures show that compliance among water companies is exceptionally strong, with approximately 99% of sewage treatment facilities and storm overflows adhering to their regulatory permits."

"Despite the challenges, water companies are dedicated to achieving full compliance," they stated, outlining a proposed joint investment of £105 billion to modernize the infrastructure.

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Emails indicate that Conservatives attempted to downplay the extent of sewage discharges prior to the general election.

This week, Greenpeace released emails indicating that Robbie Moore, the Conservative water minister at the time, attempted to conceal data that demonstrated a rise in sewage discharges into national rivers and oceans.

In March, the Environment Agency reported that the duration of raw sewage discharges across England reached four million hours in 2023, doubling the previous figures. Additionally, there was a 54% increase in incidents, totaling 464,000 sewage spills.

Prior to the event, the minister urged the Environmental Agency to obscure data revealing the overall count of spill incidents.

According to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, the minister has made the decision to launch the portal tomorrow without displaying the total hours or the complete number of spills.

Rather, the minister requested that the Environmental Agency emphasize the typical number of discharges per overflow site, and the proportion of these events that were tracked.

The increase in sewage spills is generally attributed to the exceptionally rainy winter, which overloaded the sewer systems, coupled with a rise in the number of monitoring devices.

The EA declined to adhere to the minister's demands.

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In a late-night email dispatched at 7:39 PM just prior to the release, CEO Philip Duffy stated that concealing the data would be "counter-productive."

He cautioned that if the complete data weren't displayed on the main page, activists would compile the figures and claim we were attempting to conceal them.

"It will harm the Environmental Agency and it will harm the administration."

The Conservative Party has not provided a comment, and there has been no response from Robbie Moore to a request for his comments.

According to a representative from the Environment Agency, the organization is completely dedicated to maintaining openness.

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