(Reuters) – British utility Thames Water plans to invest 1.6 billion pounds ($1.92 billion) in the next two years to cut discharges into rivers and tackle pollution, after UK water firms faced a backlash over sewage outflows into waterways.
England and Wales water regulator Ofwat and Britain’s Environment Agency are investigating several water companies that admitted they might be illegally discharging sewage.
Thames Water’s planned investment, starting in April, includes 1.12 billion pounds to upgrade its wastewater treatment plants and sewerage networks, the company, one of the UK’s biggest water and wastewater services providers, said on Monday.
“The discharge of untreated sewage is unacceptable, and we are committed to tackling this problem,” said Chief Executive Sarah Bentley. “However, there are no quick fixes.”
Last year Ofwat served formal notices to Thames Water and others over concerns about the firm’s responses to its queries on their sewage treatment operations.
British water treatment facilities temporarily discharge raw sewage into seas and rivers if they are inundated by heavy rainfall and risk flooding, but the government in 2021 put legal controls on the amount of wastewater companies could dump.
Last week the country’s Environment Secretary Therese Coffey demanded water companies share their plans to improve their water infrastructure and said they will face higher penalties for breaches that are quicker and easier to enforce.
Water companies in the UK who are caught creating illegal pollution could face having to pay compensation for damages, or legal prosecution.
Thames Water, which provides services to 15 million customers across London, the Thames Valley and surrounding areas, said it was committed to reduce its yearly discharges by 50% by 2030.
($1 = 0.8353 pounds)
(Reporting by Radhika Anilkumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Jan Harvey)