Anglian and South West Water hit with £86m penalties over wastewater failures

(Sharecast News) - Water regulator Ofwat confirmed on Tuesday that Anglian Water and South West Water will pay a combined £86.8m in fines following serious failures in their wastewater operations. Anglian Water will pay £62.8m, while South West Water will contribute £24m, with funds earmarked to benefit customers and the environment, after Ofwat said both firms had breached legal obligations by failing to adequately operate, maintain and upgrade their sewage treatment works and networks.

Ofwat said its investigations had uncovered excessive spills from storm overflows, driven by poor asset performance and insufficient oversight from senior management and boards.

The fines follow public consultations held back in July and signal the conclusion of five wastewater investigations held in 2025, with total enforcement action now exceeding £240m.

Both companies have accepted the findings and committed to corrective action, with Anglian Water, which serves 7m people across the east of England, saying it would accelerate investment in storm tanks and screening infrastructure to improve compliance.







Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com