Environmental Agency says UK water companies do not meet basic rights, outlines tougher plans
Britain’s Environment Agency strongly criticized the country’s water companies for releasing sewage into rivers and seas, stating that most of them were not meeting fundamental standards. Alongside this critique, the agency outlined plans to adopt a more stringent regulatory approach.
Years of insufficient investment by privately owned, profit-driven water companies in the UK have coincided with increased rainfall due to climate change and a growing population, pushing the country’s water industry towards crisis.
In its annual report released on Tuesday, the Environment Agency, which regulates, indicated that five out of nine companies were deemed to be “requiring improvement,” highlighting that progress towards cleaner water was proceeding too slowly.
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Britain’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Steve Reed called the findings “shocking.”
“For too long, water companies have pumped record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. This government will never let this happen again,” he said in a statement.
One of the failing companies is Thames Water, the largest water supplier in the country.
Over the past year, Thames Water has been in the spotlight due to its significant environmental shortcomings and a financial crisis, which has raised the possibility of it being taken into public ownership.
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In 2023, the Environment Agency reported 47 serious pollution incidents, an increase from 44 the previous year.
The agency highlighted that 90% of these incidents were attributable to four companies: Thames Water, Anglian Water, Southern Water, and Yorkshire Water.
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