Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan has said the Labour Government has overseen a 145% surge in criminal investigations into water companies who cover up or hide illegal sewage spills.
After 14 years of Conservative failure resulted in record levels of illegal sewage dumping in our rivers, lakes and seas, the Labour Government has announced it has spearheaded the largest increase in criminal action against water companies in history.
A record 81 criminal investigations into water companies have been launched in England since the election in July 2024 as Labour’s Environment Secretary Steve Reed cracks down on criminality in the sector.
This includes five new investigations into Southern Water.
Following these investigations, water bosses could be jailed for five years and water companies fined hundreds of millions of pounds.
This is a 145% increase compared to under the last Conservative government, who cut the Environment Agency budget by a half since 2010, undermining its ability to investigate and prosecute sewage offenders.
In contrast, to drive forward this surge in action, the Environment Agency has hired 400 more staff since Labour took office in July 2024, to carry out inspections into water companies and pollution.
Since privatisation, only three individuals have been successfully criminally prosecuted by the Environment Agency despite widespread illegality. This failure to hold water companies to account came at the same time as, under the Tories, £41 million in bonuses, benefits and incentives were paid to water company executives from 2020.
New powers delivered by the Government’s landmark Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, mean water executives who cover up or hide illegal sewage spills can now be locked up for two years and water companies fined hundreds of millions of pounds. Seven cases against water companies are going to court over the next few months.
Commenting, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“Sewage dumping in Portsmouth has been a stain on our local environment for too long.
“The Conservatives’ 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.
“This Labour Government is sorting out the dirty mess the Conservatives failed to tackle. These investigations are strong action that will see water companies punished if they are found to have broken the law and force them to clean up their act, and our environment.”
Labour’s Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:
“Not only did the Conservatives oversee record levels of sewage dumping, they also shamelessly tried to cover it up.
“And Reform didn’t even mention sewage in their manifesto, Nigel Farage simply doesn’t care about our beautiful rivers, lakes and seas.
“This Labour Government is cleaning up the foul mess the Tories left behind with a record number of criminal investigations into lawbreaking water companies – which could see bosses behind bars.”
Earlier this year Mr Morgan welcomed Environment Secretary Steve Reed to Portsmouth as the Labour Government’s landmark bill to crack down on bosses polluting waterways in Portsmouth became law.
You can read about Mr Morgan’s long track record campaigning to stop the sewage here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/backs-tough-plans-to-tackle-sewage/
