Water companies face £168m fines over sewage spills

Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water face £168m fines by the industry regulator over historic sewage spills.

The proposal will now go to public consultation and is the first announcement of Ofwat's largest ever investigation into water company performance.

The announcement on Wednesday comes amidst growing public anger over the environmental and financial performance of some water companies.

Sewage spills into England's rivers and seas more than doubled last year.

Ofwat has found that the three companies failed to adequately invest and maintain their networks, leading to repeated releases of raw sewage into the country’s waterways.

This has the potential to significantly damage the environment and poses a risk to human health for those swimming in a river or sea where sewage is being discharged.

In December 2023 Ofwat notified the three companies of its provisional findings and they had the opportunity to provide any further evidence for consideration.

The BBC has contacted all three companies involved for comment.

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