Yorkshire Water subject to new investigations as MP hails sewage crackdown
A South Yorkshire MP has welcomed what has been described as the largest ever crackdown on the water industry, as the Environment Agency launches new investigations into Yorkshire Water.
The new data, released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), shows that 81 criminal investigations into water companies have been launched across England since the general election in July 2024. Four of these relate to Yorkshire Water, and are in addition to three previously acknowledged prosecutions concerning incidents from 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Rawmarsh and Conisbrough MP John Healey said the action marked a turning point after what he described as years of inaction under the previous government.
“Sewage dumping across South Yorkshire has been a stain on our local environment for too long,” said Mr Healey.
“The previous Government’s record on sewage was a disgrace, they let water bosses off the hook and let criminal dumping into our rivers, lakes and seas go unpunished.”
However, Yorkshire Water initially raised concerns about the figures released by Mr Healey, stating that it was only aware of three ongoing prosecutions.
A spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We’re aware of three ongoing prosecutions against us by the Environment Agency relating to incidents in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
“We will continue to cooperate, as we have to date, with the Environment Agency in relation to any other ongoing investigations that are yet to reach a conclusion.”
When presented with DEFRA’s figures confirming four additional investigations since July 2024, Yorkshire Water declined to comment further, saying it had ‘nothing more to add.’
Under the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, introduced by the current government, water company executives can face prison sentences of up to five years if found personally responsible for serious breaches of environmental permits, according to DEFRA. The act also allows for up to two-year sentences in cases where executives obstruct investigations or conceal illegal sewage discharges.
The legislation gives regulators new powers to impose multi-million pound fines and strengthens oversight through increased inspections and real-time monitoring requirements.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said the crackdown is part of a wider effort to enforce environmental laws more rigorously, with more than 380 new regulatory staff hired since last year.
The government has stated that this enforcement push is a key part of its “Plan for Change” in the water sector, which also includes a £104 billion investment in upgrading infrastructure and reducing sewage discharges by almost half over the next five years.
Yorkshire Water says that it continues to cooperate with the Environment Agency, and no findings have been made at this stage.