Water charges for bottling firms in Yorkshire 'unacceptably low'
Companies selling bottled water from Yorkshire springs are being charged “unacceptably low” fees by the Environment Agency, according to latest figures.
According to the figures, which were obtained by The Observer, US-owned Shepley Spring, which sells water under the brands “White Rock” and “Ice Valley”, pays £1,300 each year to extract 30 million litres of water from Shepley, West Yorkshire.
The same company also pays £5,800 for water from the nearby village of Highburton. Its revenue was over £40million in 2024.
Meanwhile, Harrogate Spring Water, which is owned by French food manufacturer Danone, was charged £6,348 to extract water from two boreholes in North Yorkshire.
Responding to the costs, which were obtained through freedom of information requests, Alistair Carmichael, chair of the environment, food and rural affairs select committee, said: “Giving such favourable terms to companies bottling water for retail sale is unacceptable. More government action is needed to tackle the scourge of single-use plastic.”
He called for a review of the charges.
The Observer also obtained figures for companies elsewhere in England, including £6,070 for Coca-Cola to extract up to 674 million litres of water for its “Glacéau Smartwater” brand, which is bottled in Morpeth.
In response, a spokesperson for Harrogate Spring Water told The Yorkshire Post: “As a proud custodian of Harrogate's water, we maintain high social and environmental standards, reflected in our B Corp certification.
“We pay the same abstraction charges as similar licensed abstractors, including public water suppliers, and are not subject to a preferential charging regime. Abstraction licences and limits are set […] by the Environment Agency.”
Shepley Spring said: “Water abstraction charges are set by the government, and Shepley Spring does not determine these charges. We comply with all regulatory requirements and pay the charges that apply to our licensed abstractions.
“Natural source water producers pay the same abstraction rates as other licensed abstractors, including public water suppliers. Across the UK, natural source water accounts for around 0.03% of total water abstraction.
“Shepley Spring is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. As a family-owned business and major local employer, we remain committed to operating responsibly, protecting our water sources, investing in environmental improvements, and supporting the communities in which we operate.
“Our company is also an investor in the upcoming new deposit return scheme to further advance circularity of bottled beverages.”
The Environment Agency told the Yorkshire Post licences come with conditions to ensure the environment is protected, adding: “Where there is a risk of damage to the environment, we have the power to amend or revoke existing licences.”
“Charges are structured to reflect the impact and complexity of water abstraction, and to recover the costs incurred in setting the licence. They are not intended to function as a wider economic instrument.”