Fury over water firms' 'drop in the ocean' £157m penalty

Not enough to punish suppliers' ‘annual litany of failure'

- Steph Spyro

CAMPAIGNERS have slammed the "paltry" £157.6million penalty that water companies will have to pay for poor performance.

Regulator Ofwat said customer bills will fall in 2025-6 to reflect the fine, with the rebates calculated in December.

This comes after firms missed key targets on reducing pollution, leaks and supply interruptions while consumer satisfaction continues to dive.

James Wallace, of River Action, said: "This might sound like a lot of money but frankly it is a drop in the ocean for polluting water companies that have handed billions in dividends and interest payments to investors.