Money from fines given to water companies for breaching pollution laws will be reinvested into schemes that benefit the environment, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said today (Wednesday, November 30).
At present, the money from imposed fines is returned to the Treasury. Under the new plans, these funds will go to Defra to be reinvested into environmental and water quality improvement projects.
This aims to include initiatives to restore water environments by creating wetlands, re-vegetating river banks and reconnecting meanders to the main channel of rivers.
Water companies were handed a record amount of fines for pollution incidents last year, and the Environment Agency has concluded 56 prosecutions against water and sewerage companies since 2015.
In total, the agency has secured funds over £141 million from the fines since 2015.
“Water company fines reached a record level last year and moving forward these plans will significantly increase funding that will be used to recover, protect and enhance our natural environment,” Water Minister, Rebecca Pow, said.
“The volume of sewage being discharged into our waters is unacceptable, and can cause significant harm to our wildlife and sensitive habitats,” she added.
“It is right that water companies are made to pay when they break the rules, but it is also right that this money is then channelled back into improving water quality.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said: “These fines hold rule-breaking companies to account and mean record investment in our waterways.
“It comes on top of our requirement for water companies to invest in the natural environment – raising the largest ever environmental infrastructure investment of £56 billion over 25 years.”
