12 Jun 2025
Image description: sewage outfalls emptying into the ocean. Image by Tom Fisk. Unfair bonuses banned The government has confirmed “unfair bonuses” have been banned for six water companies with immediate effect, following new measures from the Water (Special Measures) Act coming into force. The government said that in the past 10 years, executives at […]
29 May 2025
Photo description: Tower Bridge straddling the Thames. Image by Albrecht Fietz / Pixabay Thames Water has been fined a total of £122.7m for breaching rules over sewage spills and shareholder payouts, as Ofwat finalised both the penalty and enforcement order which have been imposed on the company. A £104.5m penalty has been issued for […]
22 May 2025
Image description: Full view of Westminster, with the Thames visible in the foreground. Image by Adam Dereweck/ Pixabay. Ministers promised to block Thames bonuses Last week the Thames Water Executives including Sir Adrian Montague, the Chair, and Chris Weston, the Chief Executive, faced scrutiny from MPs at a select committee hearing. During this enquiry […]
20 Mar 2025
Thames Water was reported to have discharged 50% more sewage into England’s rivers last year, compared with the previous 12 months. In numbers, this rose from 196,414 hours of raw effluent in 2023 to 300,000 hours in 2024. The data was analysed by University College of London Professor Peter Hammond after Thames Water won approval […]
06 Mar 2025
The Independent Water Commission, launched last October by the UK and Welsh governments, is seeking views in relation to the water sector in England and Wales. A Call for Evidence opened on February 27 and will close on April 23. The public, environment groups, investors and others are invited to share their views on future […]
31 Dec 2024
An investigation by The Guardian has found that Thames Water intentionally diverted millions of pounds pledged for environmental clean-ups towards other costs including bonuses and dividends. The company, which serves more than 16 million customers, cut the funds after senior managers assessed the potential risks of such a move. Discussions – held in secret – […]
29 May 2024
From Action Network Target: Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food, And Rural Affairs Untreated sewage was discharged into English waterways for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023. In 2022, water companies paid out £1.4 billion in dividends – even as 11 of them were fined in the same year for missing performance […]
10 Jan 2024
Reported by the BBC One of the biggest investors in Thames Water has slashed the value of its stake in the debt-laden utility by almost two-thirds, weeks after the company admitted that it does not have enough money to make its debt repayments. A fund controlled by Thames Water’s second largest investor, the University Superannuation […]
