Ofwat Investigating All 11 Water Companies in England and Wales for Sewage Spills
All water companies are mandated by law to ensure that discharges of untreated storm sewage from treatment works are not a regular occurrence.
Ofwat has initiated investigations into all 11 water and wastewater companies in England and Wales regarding their environmental performance and waste spills, as announced by the regulator.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Severn Trent, and United Utilities have received formal notices from Ofwat after an assessment of their management of sewage treatment works and the frequency of spills from storm overflows.
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Enforcement actions are now underway against all 11 companies, following previous cases against other companies in 2022.
Ofwat CEO David Black emphasized that this investigation is the regulator’s largest and most complex undertaking.
Water and wastewater companies are obligated to adhere to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994, which require them to minimize pollution spills in waterways and prevent untreated storm sewage discharges from treatment works from becoming common.
The legislation specifies that spills should only occur in exceptional circumstances, such as during unusually heavy rainfall.
