Labour Gov Cracks Down On Water Polluters
Water pollution in the UK is one of the hottest topics of the moment, with water quality in the country hitting the headlines on an increasingly regular basis. The situation is now so dire, in fact, that UN figures show that 100 per cent of the rivers in England failed to achieve good chemical status in 2020.
A recent parliamentary committee report described the nation’s waterways as being a “chemical cocktail” or sewage, agricultural waste and plastic, all of which is coming together to have a devastating impact on water quality, creating algal blooms, reducing biodiversity, putting ecosystems and aquatic life at risk, and affecting the ocean’s ability to store carbon.
Despite these facts, it seems that comparatively little has been done up till now to address the situation head on and ensure that our water supplies are fit for purpose… and, what’s worse, it seems that wilful negligence appears to be on the rise, with sewage discharges on the parts of water suppliers increasing over time.
However, now that there’s a new Labour government heading up the country, perhaps change is in the air and more effective steps will be implemented to improve water quality and build resilience into the network to safeguard resources for future generations.
Pollution crackdown
Earlier this month (September), the government unveiled its water (special measures) bill, revealing legislation intended to crack down on water companies polluting waterways around the UK and giving regulators stronger powers to take tougher and faster action against those firms that damage the environment and fail their customers.
This move is necessary, it seems, because only three individuals have been criminally prosecuted without appeal by the Environment Agency since the water sector was privatised in 1989, despite widespread illegality.
Under this new legislation, the Environment Agency will be better equipped to move forward with criminal charges against water executives found to be breaking the law, with tougher new penalties in place (including jail sentences) for executives when their companies obstruct investigations or fail to cooperate. Before now, the maximum punishment for the majority of obstruction cases was a fine.
The bill will also see payment of performance-related bonuses to chief executives and senior leadership of water companies banned unless high standards of environmental and customer protection are met, as well as those relating to financial resilience and criminal liability.
Water companies should also be aware that regulators will be permitted to hand out financial penalties more quickly, without having to carry out lengthy investigations. Currently, these investigations are required to provide proof beyond reasonable doubt of criminal activity before fines can be imposed, even for minor to moderate offences.
They are unable to impose fixed monetary penalties for the majority of water-related offences, with the current maximum penalty set at just £300.
But the bill will enable fixed monetary penalties to be imposed as automatic penalties for certain offences, including pollution incidents, water resource contraventions and failure to comply with information requests/reporting requirements.
More intensive monitoring of emergency sewage overflows will also be implemented, ensuring that regulators will be able to investigate and punish wrongdoing quicker and more easily. Water companies will also be required to publish real-time data within one hour of all emergency overflow incidents to increase transparency and ensure they’re held to account.
Chair of the Environment Agency Alan Lovell said: “The bill will give us, as regulator, more power to protect our precious water quality and resources, hold water companies to account and ensure the polluter pays.
“The stronger penalties introduced by the bill will deter illegal behaviour and allow us to close the justice gap and strengthen our ability to deliver swift enforcement action.”
The government also has plans in place to outline further legislation that aims to fundamentally transform how the water network operates, tackling pollution and building resilience into the water supply, while boosting investment and accelerating infrastructure upgrades to help clean up the nation’s rivers, lakes and streams.
How can businesses help?
Water sustainability is a key concern for us all, businesses and consumers alike – and, for companies, the good news is that there’s a lot that can be done to be more water efficient and help reduce pollution.
Looking at your supply chain and assessing the practices and values of those you work with can be beneficial, as can implementing supplier codes of conduct for those you work with in the future.
Running awareness campaigns throughout your place of employment can also help staff members be more mindful about what they’re sending down the drain, as well as how much water they themselves use at work and at home.
Water quality aside, you can also do a lot to protect water quantity, which is another pressing issue facing the UK.
A water audit of your site will show you how and where you’re using water, allowing you to identify the most effective water-saving solutions, which can be adjusted over time. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with the SwitchWaterSupplier.com team today.