Water regulators report 2,991 pollution incidents in 2025 as investment plans expand

A combined assessment by four regulators records 2,991 pollution incidents in England and Wales in 2025. Eighty-four of those incidents were classified as serious.

The assessment also says companies completed environmental improvement measures within the required timeframe in 93.7% of cases. Water companies have committed more than £104 billion to network upgrades between 2025 and 2030.

Separate investment plans include almost £5 billion for wastewater treatment work intended to remove phosphorus over five years. That spending is part of a broader £60 billion programme covering river protection and water infrastructure. More than £104 billion in private funding is planned for the water sector over five years.

The latest figures follow a rise in serious pollution incidents from 47 in 2023 to 75 in 2024. Thames Water, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water were responsible for 81% of serious incidents recorded in 2024.

The Environment Agency has proposed £11 billion for storm-overflow improvements between 2025 and 2030. It also inspected more than 4,650 wastewater treatment works during 2024 to 2025.

Taken together, the figures set out both the scale of pollution recorded by regulators and the size of the investment programme planned for treatment works, storm overflows and wider water infrastructure. The assessment provides the incident totals, while the investment plans describe work intended to improve wastewater systems and protect rivers.

The 2025 total includes all recorded pollution incidents in England and Wales, while the earlier figures on serious incidents relate to 2023 and 2024. The separate time periods provide context for the latest assessment without establishing that the investment has already changed the incident total.