How UK water companies are polluting Britain's rivers and beaches

Published on August 20, 2013 04:02 by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Social

The most persistent and frequent polluters of England's rivers and beaches are the nation's 10 biggestwatercompanies, anObserverinvestigation has revealed.

The companies, which are responsible for treating waste water and delivering clean supplies, have been punished for more than 1,000 incidents in the past nine years, but fined a total of only £3.5m.

The revelations have raised concern that the financial penalties are far too low to change the behaviour of an industry that generates billions of pounds in profits and shareholder dividends. The charge is backed by theSentencing Council for England and Wales, which is proposing major hikesin penalties.

Pollutionincidents, which have included sewage illegally pouring into a harbour for more than a year, and managers destroying records, show no sign of declining, according to data obtained from the Environment Agency (EA) under freedom of information rules. Only a third of the 1,000 incidents led to a fine (of an average of just £10,800); the rest resulted in cautions.

"In law, the 'polluter pays' principle is supposed to deter companies from damaging the environment, but in this case the penalties appear to be so pitiful that water companies seem to be accepting them as the price of doing business," Joan Walley MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), told theObserver. "The sentencing council must ensure that courts take into account the profits made from environmental crimes, and that fines have a sufficient deterrent effect."

Media

Taxonomy

Environmental Impact Assessment