As Labour plans to crack down on water companies, see which firms empty the most sewage into England’s rivers, lakes and seas. Water firm bosses could face jail-time under sweeping new laws proposed by the Government to reduce the amount of pollution of England’s waterways. The Water (Special Measures) Bill, introduced to Parliament on Wednesday, will hand new powers to Ofwat and the Environment Agency to take action on companies damaging the environment and failing customers.
Under the Bill, harsher penalties for law-breaking will be introduced, including jail sentences of up to two years for executives who fail to cooperate or obstruct Environment Agency and Drinking Water Inspectorate investigations. Years of under-investment by the privately-run firms combined with ageing water infrastructure, a growing population and more extreme weather caused by climate change have seen the quality of England’s rivers, lakes and oceans plummet in recent years. READ MORE: Fury at Ouseburn pollution levels as councillors take aim at Northumbrian Water over sewage spills Keep up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from the North East with our free newsletter Sewage spills have contributed to a situation in which no single river in England is considered to be in good overall health, and beauty spots including Windermere in the Lake District have been polluted.
Annual data from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs shows how often each water compa.