Water company Wessex Water has been ordered to pay an £11 million enforcement package after the regulator Ofwat uncovered major failures in the operation and maintenance of its wastewater network.
The penalty, announced on Tuesday, follows an investigation that found the company had failed to properly manage sewage and wastewater flows, resulting in avoidable spills from storm overflows. The enforcement action will be paid for by Wessex Water and its shareholders, with Ofwat confirming that the cost cannot be passed on to customers through higher bills.
This development comes as Wessex Water increased household bills by an average of 20% (£113) earlier this year.
Lynn Parker, Ofwat’s senior director for enforcement, said: “Our investigation has found that Wessex Water failed to effectively operate, maintain and upgrade its wastewater assets, which meant there were spills from storm overflows when there shouldn’t have been. To their credit, the company has been one of the more proactive in investigating and rectifying the problems identified. However, there remain breaches which must be accounted for and corrected.”
The company, which is owned by Malaysian conglomerate YTL, is required to take several remedial actions as part of the enforcement package. These include assisting local landowners in sealing sewer pipes to prevent groundwater infiltration into the network, investing in infrastructure to reduce storm overflow spills, and installing new monitoring equipment across key sites.
The £11 million package is part of a wider crackdown by Ofwat, which has already imposed around £240 million in enforcement actions against other major water firms this year, including Yorkshire Water and Thames Water.
A spokesperson for Wessex Water said: “We regret the impact our wastewater performance has had on customers and the environment. When the issues at our treatment sites were identified, we were quick to fix them, but we do agree that there is much more to do – particularly in areas where groundwater enters the sewerage network and can result in overflows operating long after rainfall events.”
They added that the company’s proposed measures “will tackle the problem directly, sealing pipes on private land that we would not normally have powers over, as well as additional monitoring and initiatives like water butts and rain gardens to help customers treat rainwater as a valuable resource. This not only prevents pollution but also reduces the risk of sewer flooding for communities.”
Looking ahead, Wessex Water plans to invest £300 million in its sewerage infrastructure by 2030, with several upgrades to key wastewater treatment sites already underway or completed.
