Ofwat – carrot and stick – South West Water fine but Severn Trent and Anglian are rewarded

Ofwat proposes penalty for seven incidents as it rewards Severn Trent and Anglian Water for beating targets. The water regulator has proposed fining South West Water £1.7m for missing performance targets after a series of serious incidents of sewage going into the sea. South West operates water and sewerage systems in Cornwall, Devon and parts of Dorset and Somerset. Ofwat said the company allowed sewage into the sea seven times in the year to April 2016 and that all the incidents were serious. Ofwat said it would consider delaying the penalty until a price review in 2019 to let South West offset the fine against rewards that will be due from beating other targets. It will charge the company, owned by Pennon Group, interest and for inflation. The regulator announced the proposed penalty as it published draft decisions on two other water companies’ service to customers. Severn Trent qualified for a potential £18.8m reward for beating its commitments on pollution incidents and other measures – saving 10m litres a day. Anglian Water saved 3m litres a day by having fewer leaks than it had promised and is in line for a reward of £500,000. Click here to read more.

England’s bathing waters best on record

Defra ‘New statistics on bathing water quality reveal England’s favourite swimming spots are the cleanest they’ve been since records began. Millions of visitors to England’s stunning seaside and bathing spots will be able to enjoy swimming in cleaner water than ever before, thanks to massive improvements made over the past two decades. Bathing water quality, tested at 413 beaches and lakes up and down the country, is the best on record and 98.5 per cent passed tough standards this year.’ Click here to read more