Water chiefs' pay rises to average of £1.1m despite ban on bonuses

The pay of water company chief executives in England and Wales rose by 5% in the last financial year to an average of £1.1m despite a ban on bonuses for several companies and widespread outrage over the sector's poor performance.

- Jasper Jolly

Total pay reported by water companies reached £15m in 2024-25, up 5% on £13.8m the previous year, according to Guardian analysis of 14 companies' annual reports.

Water companies have been under scrutiny in recent years over their record on the environmentally damaging discharges of sewage into Britain's rivers and seas. Politicians and campaigners have also reacted angrily to bill increases allowed in April by the regulator, Ofwat.