A view of the River Stour in Canterbury (Image: Getty)
A green regulator will receive its largest ever budget to tackle filthy waterways thanks to charges on polluting water companies, the Environment Secretary has announced. The Environment Agency (EA) will receive over ￡189million this financial year to fund more enforcement officers, improved equipment and the latest technology.
Steve Reed, who has made improving Britain’s waterways his top priority, said: "The public are furious about sewage pollution in our rivers, lakes and seas. This government is cleaning them up, including the biggest boost to enforcement in a decade paid for by the water companies responsible for the pollution. Our changes give the water watchdog the resources they need to tackle pollution and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good – all part of the Government’s plan for change.”
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The EA has faced significant budget cuts in the past, leading to concerns about its ability to fulfill its environmental protection duties.
READ MORE: Activists slam government’s river clean-up plan as ineffective and cost-free
It means they have come under pressure to hold water companies to account with inspections and prosecutions because of dwindling resources.
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But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that funding has now increased by 64% since 2023/24, with all of this coming from charges paid by water companies rather than from the public purse.
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The EA plans to carry out more than 10,000 inspections of water company assets this year and has already launched a record 81 criminal investigations into water company pollution incidents since July 2024.
James Wallace, CEO of River Action, said: “This funding boost is a welcome and long-overdue step as long as charges to water companies are paid by investors and not passed on to customers. We mustn’t lose sight of the wider picture.
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“Defra was one of the biggest losers in the recent spending review, with a 2.7% cut in average annual real growth. One-off cash injections won’t undo decades of underinvestment in environmental protection.
"All eyes are now on the Water Commission’s upcoming report. We need a bold, practical blueprint to reform regulation and end pollution for profit from Sir Jon Cunliffe that the government is ready to adopt – because our rivers simply can’t wait any longer.”
It comes as campaigners and scientists from across the sector will meet today (TUESDAY) for the UK’s river summit, by the banks of London’s only chalk stream - the River Wandle.
There is huge fury among members of the public over hikes in water bills while water bosses receive bonuses for polluting the nation’s waterways.
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Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “The public are furious about sewage pollution in our rivers, lakes and seas.
“This government is cleaning them up, including the biggest boost to enforcement in a decade paid for by the water companies responsible for the pollution.
“Our changes give the water watchdog the resources they need to tackle pollution and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good – all part of the Government’s plan for change.”