Water company inspections will more than quadruple as the government cracks down on poor performing companies.
7 June
2024 (U.K.) : Water company inspections will more than
quadruple as the government cracks down on poor performing companies,
under plans announced today (20 February). In recent months, robust
steps have been made under the Plan for Water with all 15,000 storm overflows now
monitored and the cap on civil penalties for pollution removed.
Last week, Defra went further in announcing that
water bosses are set to be banned from receiving bonuses if a company has committed
serious criminal breaches.
The Environment Agency (EA) is already ramping up inspections on water company assets, with over 930 completed this financial year. Today’s announcement goes further as water company inspections carried out by the EA will rise to 4000 a year by the end of March 2025, and then to 10,000 by April 2026. This will include an increase in unannounced inspections – strengthening oversight of water companies and reducing the reliance on water company self-monitoring, which was established in 2009.
Increased inspections and enforcement will be backed by around £55 million each year. This will be fully funded through increased grant-in-aid from Defra to the Environment Agency and additional funding from water quality permit charges levied on water companies, subject to a public consultation closing in March 2024.