Three water companies face combined £168m fine for sewage failures | Business News

Three water companies face a record combined fine of £168 million after a series of failures, including sewage treatment.

Regulator Ofwat’s proposals include a £104m fine for Thames Water.

Yorkshire Water faces a £47 million fine, while Northumbrian Water will have to pay £17 million.

This is followed by an investigation into the companies’ management of their sewage treatment plants and wider networks.

Ofwat said it would consult on the level of fines before companies were ordered to pay.

The regulator’s chief executive, David Black, said: “Ofwat uncovered a catalog of failings by Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water in the way they managed their sewage works and this resulted in excessive spills due to storm overflows.

“Our investigation has shown how they routinely release sewage into our rivers and seas, instead of ensuring this only happens in exceptional circumstances, as the law intends.”

He added: “The level of penalties we intend to impose signals both the seriousness of the failings and our determination to take action to ensure water companies do more to deliver cleaner rivers and seas.”

Read more about business:
Asian markets recover after global slump
Musk intensifies war of words with Starmer
Google illegally maintained a search monopoly

There has been growing concern about pollution of the UK’s rivers and coasts in recent years.

Analysis of Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs suggested that sewage was dumped into rivers, lakes and beaches designated as “safe for swimming” an average of 86 times per day in 2023.

Environment Agency data also showed untreated sewage discharges doubled from 1.8 million hours in 2022 to a record 3.6 million in 2023.

Several water companies are also under increasing scrutiny regarding their financial health It is plans to increase bills.

This breaking news is being updated and more details will be published soon.

Refresh the page for the most complete version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet through Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our Youtube channel to stay up to date with the latest news.