Yorkshire Water rating improved in latest Environment Agency report

The report, which uses data collected during 2022, shows that Yorkshire Water was also one of four water companies in England to perform better than its target for the total number of water quality pollution incidents from water company sewerage assets.

However, the report states that the company performed below target for self-reporting pollution incidents.

Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said: “Regulators, water companies, government, eNGOs and many others all want the same thing: better environmental outcomes, including cleaner rivers and seas. We need to work together and take collective responsibility to achieve it.

“While there have been some modest improvements, it is unacceptable to still be seeing this level of pollution. We have seen a distinct culture shift from the water industry in recent months and that is welcome – but that must translate to profound, long-term change.

“The Environment Agency will play its part by transforming the way we regulate the sector. We welcome this week’s announcement on unlimited penalties which will also improve our enforcement powers.”

Water Minister Rebecca Pow said: “Today’s report shows there is significant work to do to drive the improvements in our rivers and seas that we need to see.

“The government’s Plan for Water is focused on more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement than ever before. I am personally committed to driving that forward and demanding more from each and every water company.

“We have also put new regulatory powers in place to allow the Environment Agency to impose sanctions on water companies without always going through the courts. This will be an important tool in its armoury to hold companies to account.”

Since 2015, the Environment Agency’s prosecutions against water companies have secured fines of over £150 million. In 2022, the Environment Agency concluded nine prosecutions against water and sewerage companies with fines of more than £4 million.

The report comes the day after the government unveiled new plans to scrap limits on punishments that can be handed out to polluters.

Following a government consultation, the current limit of £250,000 on variable monetary penalties that the Environment Agency and Natural England can impose directly on operators will be removed.

Across Yorkshire and The Humber last year there were 54,300 incidents of discharge to watercourses from sewer overflows, totalling 235,894 hours of polluting.

Among the worst local authority areas affected were Harrogate and Bradford with the former experiencing the longest time of polluting events (22,140 hours), and the latter experiencing the most separate incidents (5,216).

Operator Yorkshire Water has promised to invest £180m in reducing storm overflows by 2025. A new sewer being built is expected to significantly reduce the frequency and volume of discharges into the River Wharfe in Ilkley - which sits within Bradford Council’s borders - when it opens next year.

Last year water regulator Ofwat told Kelda Group-owned Yorkshire Water that £941.3m of loans it had given to the company Kelda Eurobonds had to be repaid to it, with the first amount of £300m due to be repaid by 30th June 2023.