UK aims to stop water pollution with tougher penalties, stronger regulation

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will on Thursday set out new legislation to stop water companies leaking sewage into rivers and seas by bringing in tougher penalties including imprisonment for bosses, and giving the regulator new powers.

Sewage spills in the UK hit a record high in 2023, amplifying public anger at the state of the country's dirty rivers and the private companies responsible for the pollution, such as the country's biggest supplier, Thames Water.

The government, which was elected in July, promised it would force the industry to improve, through, for example, handing the water regulator power to ban bonuses for company bosses.

“This bill is a major step forward in our wider reform to fix the broken water system," environment minister Steve Reed said in a statement.

"Under this government, water executives will no longer line their own pockets whilst pumping out this filth."

There has been criticism that water bosses have received bonuses despite sewage pollution rising.

Thames Water's chief executive Chris Weston was paid a 195,000 pound bonus for three months' work earlier this year, for example.

The minister said he would provide further details on his plans for Britain's water in a speech on Thursday including sewage infrastructure upgrades, which companies say is needed due to growing population and climate change.

The level of investment needed to boost that infrastructure and how much of that should be paid for by a rise in consumer bills is the basis of a disagreement between water regulator Ofwat and suppliers.

Under the proposed new legislation, the Environment Agency will have more scope to bring forward criminal charges against executives, plus severe and automatic fines for offences.

Water companies will also be required to introduce independent monitoring of every sewage outlet and companies will need to publish annual pollution reduction plans.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)

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