Water Companies: Fines

(asked on 28th November 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fines have been issued to water companies every year since 2019.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
This question was answered on 18th January 2023

The following fines have been imposed on water companies directly by Ofwat and as a result of prosecutions brought by the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

Fines imposed on all water companies

Year

Number of prosecutions / fines

Total fines

2019

8

£6,756,725

2020

3

£852,000

2021

8

£102,490,001

2022

11

£4,448,083

In addition to fines, water companies face other financial penalties such as financial undertakings from companies secured by Ofwat following enforcement cases. These include rebates to customers and money paid to charities and community groups.
Water companies can face financial penalties if they underperform against performance targets. Ofwat recently announced penalties for 2021-22, with almost £135 million being returned to customers. A breakdown of these penalties by water company can be found at: Final determinations of in-period outcome delivery incentives for 2021-22.

Reticulating Splines