Crackdown on water companies delivers record funding to restore harm done to waterways - Defra

Record £8.5 million funding secured through enforcement action will be reinvested directly into repairing harm to rivers and habitats

Local communities, water quality and wildlife will benefit from a record £8.5 million paid by water companies into environmental restoration projects as part of a strengthened crackdown on pollution and poor performance across the sector.

This compares to £5.8 million the year before, a 47% increase, and just under £2 million in the 2023/24 financial year.

The Environment Agency ensures this record funding goes directly to charities and projects that restore the harm done to waterways and improve water quality, working to leave them in a better position than before any incident.

The funding supports a wide range of local environmental improvements, including habitat restoration and river recovery projects. This will help rebuild habitats for threatened species like water voles and salmon that pollution has driven from Britain’s waterways.

Enforcement Undertakings are legally binding agreements between the Environment Agency and companies that have breached environmental rules. The undertaking requires the company concerned to take steps to prevent repetition of the offending and to put right the damage it has caused. Often this will involve a payment to a third-party wildlife trust or environmental charity. This money can help deliver immediate benefits to the environment, without requiring lengthy and uncertain court proceedings – complementing the EA’s wider enforcement action against serial offenders.