Water bosses escape punishment for covering up illegal sewage spills

Water company bosses have entirely escaped punishment for covering up illegal sewage spills, government figures show, as ministers bring in a new law threatening them with up to two years in prison.

- Kiran Stacey

Only three people have ever been prosecuted for obstructing the Environment Agency in its investigations into sewage spills, officials said, with none of them receiving even a fine.

Officials said the data shows why the water regulator has found it so difficult to stop illegal spills, which happen when companies dump raw sewage during dry weather. The Environment Agency has identified hundreds of such cases since 2020.

Steve Reed, the environment secretary, said: "Bosses must face consequences if they commit crimes - there must be accountability. From today, there will be no more hiding places."

Water companies dumped a record amount of sewage into rivers and coastal waters last year, mostly because wet weather threatened to wash sewage back into people's homes. Data released last month by the Environment Agency revealed companies had discharged untreated effluent for nearly 4m hours during 2024, a slight increase on 2023.