Twelve months since launching a major probe into the operation and management of wastewater treatment works, the Environment Agency (EA) has revealed that the first phase has uncovered “widespread and serious non-compliance” with regulations by all water and sewerage companies.
More than 2,200 sites are being investigated by the EA to ascertain the extent of any non-compliance with environmental permit conditions related to flows treated and discharged from wastewater treatment works into English waterways.
Reflecting on the ongoing process, the regulator said: “We expect water and sewerage companies to take immediate action to bring their operations into compliance.”
The EA said the probe, which is being conducted alongside an accompanying investigation by Ofwat, is the largest ever undertaken by the agency and is “working to hold the water industry to account on a scale never seen before through increased monitoring and ongoing enforcement action when laws are broken.”
It has so far analysed more than two billion data points, which it said would “build a picture of the potential scale of non-compliance.” The next stage will explore potential permit breaches based on the results of the data.
The investigations by the EA and Ofwat were prompted by wastewater companies alerting regulators to the potential non-compliance with permits relating to flow to full treatment at some sites.
Former environment secretary Ranil Jayawardena recently proposed extending the EA’s capacity to fine polluters 1000-fold with penalties up to £250 million.
As part of its investigation, Ofwat launched enforcement cases against five companies in March – Anglian, Northumbrian, Thames, Wessex and Yorkshire – with South West being added to the list in June.
Giving an update on the probe on Monday (21 November), Ofwat’s chief executive David Black said the regulator has analysed more than 3,000 pieces of evidence so far after issuing more than 30 requests.
“We have been clear with wastewater companies that the sewage discharges on our beaches and coastlines that we have seen over the past few months are unacceptable and that they must do better,” said Black, who promised to keep consumers informed of progress, including work towards the 2025 sector-wide commitment to reduce discharges by 25%.
For PR24, Ofwat has proposed to include compulsory targets to further reduce discharges and make companies explicitly show the links between dividend payments and environmental performance.
Both Ofwat and the EA have faced growing scrutiny over the state of the nation’s rivers and beaches, with the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee currently conducting an inquiry into Ofwat’s powers.
The EA has repeatedly bemoaned significant budget cuts that it said left the agency unable to carry out its work.
Last week, the agency’s staff voted to hold their first strike over pay in the organisation’s 26-year history. Of the 2,800 staff balloted, 73% voted to support industrial strike action, while 92% voted for action short of a strike, Unison said. Its members reported their pay falling by as much as 20% in real terms since 2011.