Pollution incidents from water and sewerage assets in England have reached a record high in 2022, marking the highest number since 2019.
That’s according to the latest report by the Environment Agency, which suggests out of a total of 2,026 incidents reported last year, the majority were attributed to sewerage assets, while incidents from water supply assets also experienced a rise.
Water and sewerage companies in England are facing severe backlash following the release of the report, which highlights the concerning trend of increasing pollution incidents.
The report paints a bleak picture of the water industry’s environmental performance, with no improvement seen compared to the previous year.
Early data for 2023 indicates that the situation remains stagnant, further exacerbating concerns over the companies’ failure to address and reduce pollution incidents.
Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, expressed his disappointment with the sector’s performance, emphasising the need for significant long term investment to bring about the necessary cultural changes within large organisations.
Lovell stressed that the problems faced by the industry are deep-rooted and require sustained efforts over decades, rather than quick fixes.
