The yearly Environmental Performance Assessment (EPA) found that six of the nine water companies saw an increase in category one and two pollution incidents, which result in extensive environmental damage and the destruction of wildlife.
The assessment found that the total number of water quality and pollution incidents fell slightly in 2013, having risen steadily between 2008 and 2013. However, the report noted that numbers were still significantly high, with more than 2,500 total incidents and more than 75 serious water pollution incidents.
The industry’s worst performers were Southern Water and South West Water, both of which achieved only one star – out of a possible four – in their overall performance rating from the Environment Agency.
South West Water also suffered more than 267 category one to three pollution incidents per 10,000km of sewer, almost 120 more than Southern Water, the next worst performer.
The assessment found that the industry leader for environmental performance was Severn Trent Water. The company improved in all but one of the six environment assessment criteria in 2013, with just 1.3 serious pollution incidents per 10,000km of sewer. Along with United Utilities, it was one of only two companies to outperform the Agency’s target on serious pollution incidents.
The report also found that 90 sewage treatment works failed to comply with waste water discharge permits in 2013. Overall compliance was 97.4%, although the Environment Agency said it expected water companies to improve towards 100% compliance in 2014.
South West Water was the worst for waste water discharge compliance, with 92.5% compliance, followed by Thames Water with 95.7%, a fall from more than 99% discharge compliance in 2012.
The Environment Agency set out its expectations for the water industry in 2013 in a letter to companies. It called for a reduction in serious incidents with a trend towards zero incidents by 2020 as well as reducing the total number of incidents, category one to three, by a third compared to 2012. The results for 2013 show that most companies failed to hit the targets.