Water bosses took home thousands in bonuses despite ongoing sewage crisis in Britain
A worker from Thames Water delivering a temporary water supply from a tanker
PA
Water bosses have taken home thousands of pounds in bonuses despite Britain’s ongoing sewage crisis.
Regulator Ofwat confirmed chief executives at five water companies took a bonus for the financial year 2022/23.
However, there were more than 300,000 sewage spills into rivers and seas last year.
The situation has sparked public and political outrage.
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Former Thames Water chief executive Sarah Bentley, who resigned over the summer, waived her bonus amid the outcry.
A total of six bosses waived their bonuses.
An analysis released by the regulator today showed the heads of Anglian Water, United Utilities, Northumbrian Water, Wessex Water and Severn Trent took their bonuses.
It also revealed Severn Trent was ranked the best environmental performer in the sector by regulators.
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Sewage is discharged into Earlswood brook from the nearby treatment works
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Anglian and Wessex were rated just two out of four stars for their environmental record.
United Utilities was found to have had more sewage spills than any other company last year.
The firm, which serves the North West of England, accounted for a fifth of all discharges of raw sewage.
South East Water’s chief executive pocketed their bonus despite a hosepipe ban leaving hundreds of residents in Sussex without water this summer.
A stock image of workers from Thames Water delivering a temporary water supply from a tanker to the village of NorthendPAThe company instead blamed people working from home for the ban.
Ofwat said that the policies of how bonuses were linked to environmental and customer performance at three companies did not meet expectations.
South West Water, Severn Trent and Portsmouth Water will look to address the regulator’s concerns.
Only 10 out of the 16 largest water companies in England and Wales handle sewage.
Newly elected MP Helen Morgan and Tim Farron in Oswestry
PA
The companies that did opted to dish out bonuses funded them via shareholders rather than customer bills.
David Black, the chief executive of Ofwat, said: “We are determined to drive up standards of governance in the water industry by taking action on executive pay and company dividends, as well as pushing the sector to improve its environmental performance.”
The Liberal Democrats reiterated their call for a ban on bonuses for water executives.
Tim Farron, the party’s former leader and now spokesman for the environment, said: “The British public will be reading this and screaming at regulators to just get on with banning these insulting bonuses.”