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river pollution

Latest in river pollution

EA: CEOs and boards should face prison for pollution
The Environment Agency (EA) has urged courts to impose far tougher sentences on water companies that pollute, including prison sentences for chief executives and company boards for “serious and deliberate” incidents. The call came as the agency released its annual Environmental Performance Assessment for 2021, which showed the number of serious pollution incidents rising to 62 - the higher number since 2013. EA chair Emma Howard Boyd described the findings as "shocking".
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OEP launches first investigation into sewer regulation
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has announced its first investigation will be to determine the respective responsibilities of Defra, Ofwat and the Environment Agency with regards to the monitoring and regulation of combined sewer overflows, and whether or not they have each fulfilled their regulatory duties. The body’s chief regulatory officer Helen Venn said the probe could lead enforcement activity as well as broader actions to improve legal and regulatory systems.
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Government accepts EAC recommendations on sewers
The government has declared its support for further investment in sewerage systems in England and Wales in its response to the Environmental Audit Committee’s damning report on water quality in rivers. However, the committee's recommendations to address pollution from agriculture and homebuilding, which both play a significant role in preventing rivers from achieving good ecological status, were not accepted.
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Public see sewage as biggest cause of river pollution
Untreated sewage has become seen by the public as the biggest cause of river pollution ahead of other contributors such as litter, fly-tipping and commercial waste, according to a new report by CCW. The consumer watchdog said its research found an increasing public awareness of the issue from media reports and urged sewerage companies to do more to inform billpayers what they are doing to address the problem.
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OEP ‘keenly interested’ in agricultural polluters
Finding ways to tackle the diffuse pollution from agricultural runoff that causes ecological damage to waterways and their biodiversity will be a key focus for the newly constituted Office for Environmental Protection, its chair has said.
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Anglian and Severn Trent make joint river commitments
Anglian Water and Severn Trent have set out five ways they will improve river health across their regions. These will include encouraging the public to enjoy the waterways with more designated bathing sites and working to minimise the use of combined sewer overflows.
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Ofwat calls for detailed river health action plans
Ofwat's interim chief executive David Black has written to water company bosses demanding that they publish detailed plans by the end of April setting out the specific actions they intend to take reduce harms to river water quality, including from storm overflows. He underlined that there is no regulatory reason not to act immediately.
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Bevan: Water shortages greater threat than pollution
With growing public concern over the issue, the head of the Environment Agency James Bevan has warned that it is not pollution but instead scarcity that is the greatest threat to England’s water. He also highlighted that pollution from agriculture causes more damage to the environment than the sewage discharges that have grabbed headlines.
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Russell: Don’t ‘hide behind regulation’ on CSO action
Senior Ofwat director John Russell has told water companies it is unacceptable to "hide behind regulation" or wait until the next price review before taking action to minimise impacts of combined sewer overflows on rivers. He said where there are resources and ability, companies should begin improving the monitoring and health of their assets.
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Northumbrian fined for pollution incidents in 2017
Northumbrian Water has been fined £240,000 after pleading guilty to two pollution incidents in 2017 when a brick from a manhole chamber became lodged in a pipe, causing a combined sewer to overflow. The company has subsequently taken steps to remedy its approach to manhole maintenance in agricultural areas.
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Bevan: We’re going to need a bigger stick
Head of the Environment Agency James Bevan has said regulators need to “think differently, speak softly and carry a bigger stick,” working with operators to protect the environment and improve waterways but being “far firmer” if they fail to cooperate. He also called for “fewer, simpler and better” regulations to achieve environmental goals.
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Ofwat urged to limit executive bonuses for pollution failures
After a year-long investigation, the Environmental Audit Committee's report into river health in England has urged regulators to take a firmer position on pollution incidents, saying Ofwat should consider limiting bonuses to water company executives for failing to tackle the problem. The committee’s chair Philip Dunne spoke to Utility Week about the report, which also called for licence conditions to be revised to require year-on-year reductions in pollution towards a target of zero serious incidents by 2030.
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