Environment Secretary Steve Reed hailed the The i Paper’s campaign and its demands to hold water executives to account, and warned company chiefs will “face consequences” if they try to hide sewage dumping in the future.
It has prompted calls for ministers to make good on their promises and put those guilty of allowing sewage to enter the waterways illegally in jail.
“The campaign called for water bosses to be held accountable, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. Bosses must face consequences if they commit crimes.
Water bosses who flout the new laws, which come into force in England and Wales on Friday under the Water (Special Measures) Act, will be locked up, Reed said.
Water companies will also be forced to bear the cost of any investigation into illegal dumping, a move designed to give regulators more resources and a “pool of money” for investigations and prosecutions.
The EA has found it hard to inspect polluters owing to funding cuts. Criminal cases are lengthy and expensive, meaning the watchdog has often relied on civil penalties, which do not come with jail time.
Last year, company executives at the major water firms took home £9.1m in bonuses, despite record sewage discharges.
“The Government is trying to say that this is going to change everything. It’ll change nothing because it has been the law for the past 30 years,” he told The i Paper.
However, the Government has argued that there were were shortcomings in the existing laws, and that there was no straightforward route to prosecute directors or executives.
Analysis: Will threat of prison time be enough to stop polluting water bosses?
By Richard Vaughan
From Windermere to West Sussex, Stockton to St Ives, there is barely a body of water in the UK that has not been affected by the sewage crisis overseen by the private water companies.
It is why The i Paper launched its Save Britain’s Rivers campaign, and why the Labour Government has attempted to show to voters that it is getting a grip on the scandal.
In one of the new administration’s first acts, it laid new legislation that would hand regulators the power to block the bonuses of the water bosses for failing to get a handle on illegal dumping, and, crucially, throw them in jail for up to two years if they try to cover up their polluting ways.
On Friday, those powers will come into effect, meaning company execs face significant time behind bars if they try to hide any dumping of sewage in the country’s rivers, lakes and seas.
But while the move is a strong signal of intent by the new Government, there are already doubts about whether the threat of prison time will actually lead to a drop in discharges into the water ways.
As the indefatigable punk rocker-cum-rivers campaigner Feargal Sharkey has pointed out, the power to imprison water bosses for impeding investigations into sewage spills has been in existence since 1995.
Government officials strongly refute this, however, insisting that the new powers will for the first time give regulators the ability to pursue, investigate and convict the worst offending water company executives, and goes much further than the measures included in the Environment Act 1995.
Crucially, it will be the water companies that will have to pay for the investigations carried out into their illegal sewage dumping, handing the Environment Agency the much needed resources to bring polluters to justice.
But ministers may find that to finally turn doubters into believers when it comes to fixing the sewage crisis, they will have to put words into action and finally throw polluting water bosses behind bars.
“If the Government is serious, let’s see real jail time—not just headlines – and the urgent reformation of regulators and water company finances. Anything less is more cover-up than clean-up,” he said.
“Government must close these critical funding gaps and empower regulators to take robust action—ensuring the polluter truly pays.”
How Labour’s policies compare with i’s manifesto
1. RIVER HEALTH: 77% rivers in good health by 2027
What i says: Within its first six months in power, the Government must publish a roadmap on how the UK is going to achieve its legal target of 77 per cent of rivers being in good ecological health by 2027. This must include increased funding for the Environment Agency.
What Labour says: Under the new legislation, water companies will have to cover the costs for any investigation into them, which will significantly improve resourcing for the Environment Agency. Officials have refused to put a timeline on bringing the waterways back into good health, but have said it will take years to improve.
2. SEWAGE: Sewage spills will not damage high-priority areas – including bathing spots and nature sites – by 2030
What i says: Untreated sewage should not be causing damage to high-priority sites (bathing spots, protected nature sites, National Parks and chalk streams) by 2030. Water companies who fail to meet this target will be prosecuted.
What Labour says: While there is no specific target relating to high-priority sites, the Government has announced plans to imprison water executives if they persistently obstruct investigations into sewage spills, which is a dramatic strengthening of regulators’ powers.
3. WATCHDOG: Regulators will stop water companies destroying the environment in pursuit of profit
What i says: The Government must publish a plan to reform the regulation of water companies, including tougher powers for Ofwat to restrict dividends and bonuses for underperforming water companies. A “green duty” will be placed on Ofwat, which will force the regulator to place greater emphasis on the environment when making decisions over companies’ business plans.
What Labour says: The Government has launched an independent review of the water sector that will report back its findings next year. It has also introduced a Water Bill to Parliament that will give Ofwat the power to restrict bonuses. Labour has not yet committed to a “green duty” for Ofwat.
4. BATHING: Create 100 clean bathing spots in rivers by 2030
What i says: 100 clean bathing spots must be created in England by the end of the parliament, and the Environment Agency must start monitoring water quality throughout the year at these sites.
What Labour says: The Government has not mentioned bathing spots specifically, but there are further plans to look at water regulation at a more localised level.
5. FARMING: Farmers must be funded to improve water quality, and face enforcement action if they damage the environment
What i says: Within its first year in power, the Government should strengthen its Environmental Land Management scheme so farmers are given more grants, support and advice to undertake activities that will improve water quality.
What Labour says: It says it will ensure “environment land management schemes work for farmers and nature”, but is yet to provide more detail on what that will entail. Environment Secretary Steve Reed will set out plans to further legislation that will seek to deal with agricultural run off into the waterways.
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