New statistics published by the Environment Agency has found the number of pollution incidents from water companies across England rose sharply last year, with a 60 per cent increase in water pollution incidents compared with the year before.
Southern Water was found to have been responsible for 15 serious pollution incidents in 2024, the second highest offender of the nation’s water companies behind Thames Water.
The Environment Agency assessed all pollution incidents in 2024, with category one (major) and category two (significant) incidents being the most serious.
It was also found that Southern Water was responsible for two more serious incidents than the previous year (2023), as well as an increase of 32 per cent on its total number of pollution incidents.
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In a statement, Simon Moody, Environment Agency area director said: “Southern Water forecast three serious pollutions in its pollution incident reduction plan last year but ended up being responsible for five times that number.
“They are failing to meet their own expectations let alone ours as a regulator or the public’s who pay their water bills and expect good service with no environmental harm.
“We are pushing Southern Water hard to change. Our vastly increased inspection regime has started to identify and tackle the many problems at Southern Water sites.
“We continue to hold them to account when they cause pollution or fail to address areas in urgent need of improvement.”
A breakdown of the Environment Agency’s figures (Image: Newsquest) Southern Water provides essential water and wastewater services across Hampshire, supplying drinking water to more than two million customers across the south of England.
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In response to the Environment Agency’s findings, John Penicud, Southern Water’s managing director for wastewater, said: “Any pollution incident is completely unacceptable.
“Under new management, Southern Water has reduced the overall number of wastewater pollutions by around 40 per cent to the end of 2024 and is on track to extend this reduction to as much as 70 per cent by the end of this year.
“We know we have a long way to go to cut out pollutions completely. It’s still the case, though, that the majority of wastewater pollutions are caused by wet wipes, fats, oils and grease being flushed down toilets and sinks.
“Banning the wet wipe remains the single biggest step needed to put a stop to pollutions, which everybody wants to see.”
On the back of the Environment Agency’s findings, Liz Jarvis, Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh said: “My constituents in [[Eastleigh]] and residents across Hampshire are coping with rocketing water bills and a hosepipe ban and meanwhile Southern Water was responsible for 15 pollution incidents in 2024.
“It’s simply not good enough and the government needs to take urgent action to address it.”