Eight of nine English water firms rated poor on environment, report finds
Environment secretary Angela Eagle has summoned water bosses to Whitehall after a joint report rated eight of England's nine water companies poorly and logged 74 serious pollution incidents.
At a glance
- A joint report rated eight of England's nine water companies as poor or requiring improvement on environmental performance.
- The companies scored 16 of a possible 36 stars, down from 19, the lowest total since the assessment began.
- Environment secretary Angela Eagle has summoned industry bosses to Whitehall and warned reform cannot wait.
Angela Eagle, the environment secretary, has summoned water industry bosses to Whitehall after a joint report found that the environmental performance of the big water companies in England has worsened despite investment.
The report, produced by the Environment Agency alongside the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Natural Resources Wales and Ofwat, rated eight of England's nine water companies as "poor" or "requiring improvement". "People are sick of excuses," Eagle said.
Pollution incidents remain near previous levels
The regulators recorded 74 serious pollution incidents, the category defined as causing significant harm to the environment. That was one fewer than the previous year, despite billions of pounds of investment, bans on bosses' bonuses and a public outcry.
Across England there were 2,666 pollution incidents in 2025, a 40% increase compared with 2016. Thames Water recorded the most, followed by Anglian Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water and Southern Water.
The assessment gave the companies a combined 16 stars out of a possible 36, down from 19 a year earlier and the lowest score since the ratings process began.
Eagle warned that changes could be imposed on the industry: "Water companies have let the public down time and time again, and today's report is further proof that root-and-branch reform cannot wait."
Calls for reform
The UK is one of only two countries where water provision is fully privatised. The other is Chile, where privatisation was imposed in the 1980s by a military dictatorship.
Defra said Eagle was preparing to take "further action", with "tougher consequences" for executives at failing companies, and would set out improvement measures covering leakage, pollution incidents and customer satisfaction. Rules that took effect last year block bonuses for executives at companies given a one-star rating.
James Wallace, chief executive of the campaign group River Action, said the system "rewards shareholders and creditors while our rivers, wildlife and bill payers lose out". He called for Thames Water, the worst offender, to go into special administration immediately, and for ministers to review alternative models including public ownership.
The four agencies pooled their data in a joint report for the first time, a step towards combining fragmented regulatory responsibilities under a single watchdog. Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said a new regulator "must be more than a merger of existing institutions" and needed a clear legal duty to restore nature, plus targets and enforcement powers.
Water UK, the industry trade body, said the report showed the lowest level of leakage in history and other good performance, while acknowledging that the environmental performance of some companies is not good enough. It said more than half of last year's pollution incidents were caused by blockages or vandalism, which it said are not in the direct control of water companies.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- How many water companies in England are failing on the environment?
- Eight of England's nine water companies were rated "poor" or "requiring improvement" in a joint report by the Environment Agency, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Natural Resources Wales and Ofwat.
- How many pollution incidents were there in England in 2025?
- There were 2,666 pollution incidents in England in 2025, a 40% increase on 2016. Of these, 74 were serious incidents causing significant harm to the environment.
- Which water company had the most pollution incidents?
- Thames Water had the most pollution incidents, followed by Anglian Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water and Southern Water, according to the regulators' report.
