According to the Environment Agency’s latest reports on regulation, pollution and waste, pollution incidents from water companies are becoming less, and at the same time the quality of the water environment continues to get better.

The most recent report covers the nine water and sewerage companies primarily operating in England during the calendar year 2015.

The report posits that the major causes of incidents were containment and control failures, including incidents caused by pipe failures, sewer failures or overflows, spillages, abnormal process operations, control system or measure failures, storage tank failures, and plant failures, which continues the trends shown in previous years.

According to the reports:

  • 65% of all serious pollution incidents affected the water environment,;
  • 21 % affected land; and
  • 19 % affected air

There were 360 incidents in 2014, and this figure decreased by 10% in 2015, which saw 325 serious pollution incidents affect the water environment. While the total amount of incidents decreased, the amount of incidents affecting water increased from 59% and 53% respectively in 2014 and 2013, to 65% in 2015. Of this, non-permitted activities caused 61% and permitted activities caused 26% of incidents – the sources of the incidents were undetectable in 13% of incidents.

Harvey Bradshaw, Executive Director Environment and Business at the Agency said:

“This report highlights some significant improvements in the environmental performance of regulated businesses – which directly benefits people, the environment and the economy. Over the longer term these trends have been significant, and will provide a lasting legacy to the environment, as well as real financial savings to businesses.”

“The sites we regulated caused less serious pollution incidents, less air emissions and we closed almost 1,000 illegal waste sites. The Environment Agency will continue to take swift action to protect the environment, raise standards of poor performers and use new techniques to disrupt illegal activity.”

“We urge businesses to do even more, in some sectors pollution is still having an impact on our air, land and water and the Environment Agency will continue to work with industry groups to encourage good practice.”

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