05 May 2026

Photo by Bob Brewer   Southern Water has pleaded guilty to five pollution offences in north Kent, including discharges of untreated sewage into coastal waters that occurred just weeks after the company was handed what was then the largest criminal fine ever imposed on a water company. The Environment Agency confirmed on 27 April that […]

30 Apr 2026

Image description: Hand water pump pouring out water. Photo by Jainath Ponnala on Unsplash   South East Water has lost an appeal against a fine of £76,000 for extracting water from an underground source without the necessary permission from the Environment Agency (EA). For six weeks between May and June 2021, the company illegally took […]

15 Apr 2026

Photo by Colby Winfield on Unsplash Following an Environment Agency investigation, United Utilities pleaded guilty to introducing thousands of fish into Bessy Brook, near Bolton, without a permit. The EA says this sentence marks a regulatory milestone as the first time a water company has been sentenced under The Keeping and Introduction of Fish (England and River Esk Catchment Area) […]

15 Apr 2026

Image description: View from Sabrina Bridge over River Severn in Worcester. Photo by Darren Tolley on Unsplash New figures released by the Environment Agency (EA) show £8.5 million has been collected from water companies through Enforcement Undertakings (EUs) over the last financial year – the highest annual total on record.  The EA says these EUs will be reinvested directly into repairing harm to rivers and habitats.  What […]

02 Apr 2026

Image description: Aerial view of a water treatment facility. Photo by Patrick Federi on Unsplash A step change in regulatory scrutiny The Environment Agency (EA) confirmed it has completed over 10,000 inspections of water company assets in the past year, more than double the 4,600 carried out in 2024/25, marking a record level of surveillance. […]

02 Apr 2026

Image Description: Landscape view of the River Dart in Devon. Photo by Valentina Sotnikova on Unsplash England’s water environment faces a perfect storm The Environment Agency has published their latest Chief Scientist’s Annual Review 2025, highlighting how they are using science to support the country’s ambition for sustainable growth and respect the nature that underpins […]

02 Apr 2026

Image description: Two large pipes extend into choppy ocean water. Image by Jennifer Simmons / Unsplash Water companies released raw sewage into England’s rivers and seas almost 300,000 times last year, equivalent to a 35% reduction in spill numbers compared with 2024, according to the latest Environment Agency (EA) figures. Alongside a substantial fall in average spills […]