Water Industry

Seventy-six beaches across the UK have been awarded the Blue Flag Award for 2025. (Photo: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg)

Best UK beaches to visit that have been handed Blue Flag Award

Millions are set to see their water bills rise with consumer groups warning it will mean more households will fall into debt. (Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)

Millions face rise to water bills - 'paying price' of 'neglect'

(Photos: Pexels)

Water bills to rise by £123 on average - some households hit harder

Households in England and Wales will see their water bills increase by an “extortionate” average of £86 this year. (Photo: Rui Vieira/PA Wire)

Water firms to hike bills 'more than what people can afford'

Some properties in a Devon seaside town have lost their water supply following reports of a burst pipe. (Photo: Rui Vieira/PA Wire)

Homes left without water reports of burst pipe

(Photos: Getty Images)

Full list of water firms and price hikes - as bills rise by over 50%

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Water bills to rise amid 'unjustified' pay outs - it is sickening Isabella Boneham

Household water bills in England and Wales will increase by an average £31 a year over the next five years, regulator Ofwat has announced. (Photo: Rui Vieira/PA Wire)

Water bills to rise by £31 a year from April

Fierce sewage campaigner, Feargal Sharkey, has challenged the CEO of Thames Water to drink a glass of water from the River Brent. (Photo: Getty Images)

Feargal Sharkey challenges Thames Water CEO to drink river water

Southern Water’s debt costs are spiralling and has been downgraded again by the global credit ratings agencies. (Photo: Pixabay)

UK water firm's debt costs spiral as it looks to hike bills by 84%

TV presenter and environmentalist Chris Packham joined 15,000 protestors on the streets in central London demanding an end to sewage pollution. (Photo: Isabella Boneham)

TV presenter feels 'ripped off' and 'abused' by UK water firms

Southern Water has been slammed as a “bloody mess” and likened to “vandals” by residents in a UK beach town after “ripping out” palm trees. (Photo: SOS Whitstable/@SOSWhitstable on X)

Fury as water firm 'rips out' palm trees in UK beach town

I joined a historic protest against sewage pollution and marched alongside thousands demanding an end to polluting for profit. (Photo: Isabella Boneham)

I joined a historic sewage pollution protest - start of a new momentum Isabella Boneham

Thousands marched in London

Thousands protest in 'historic' march against sewage

Activists are gearing up to flood the streets of central London in a “historic” protest against sewage pollution. (Photo: NationalWorld/Mark Hall/Getty Images)

Celebs gear up to join 'historic' sewage pollution protest in UK city

Thames Water has unveiled a plan to secure up to £3 billion in new cash from creditors to avoid the threat of nationalisation. (Photo: Getty Images)

UK water firm launches plan to raise £3bn to avoid nationalisation

(Photos: Getty Images)

Water companies want to raise bills by 84% - as sewage spills continue
10 of 11 companies are pushing for a staggering 40% increase in bills, despite ongoing sewage spills 💧
Alex Nelson

Bonuses to water company bosses rose this year to £9.1m despite record sewage discharges. (Photo: Getty Images)

Bonuses to water company CEOs rises - despite record sewage dumps

Water firms in England and Wales have been ordered to return £157.6m to customers due to their poor performance. (Photo: Getty Images)

'A drop in the ocean': Anger as water firms to pay back 'only' £158m

South West Water has announced that the number of sewage discharges has increased - and blamed wet weather. (Photo: Getty Images)

UK water firm admits sewage dumps have increased - blaming wet weather

A major update has been issued on the sewage pollution protest, named the March for Clean Water, that has been planned in London. (Photo: PA)

Major update on sewage pollution protest planned in London

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We are paying for pollution and getting fleeced - it is disgusting Isabella Boneham

A pilot of a light aircraft spotted large amounts of brown-coloured water when flying over Southend seafront in Essex. (Photo: @YourSouthend on X/Mark Hutley)

'Disgusting' brown-coloured water spotted at popular UK beach

Thames Water has proposed hiking average customer bills by as much as 59% by 2030 in a new business plan for the coming years. (Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

Troubled Thames Water proposes to hike bills up to 59% by 2030

Water UK has told Ofwat that its plans to cap water bill hikes at £19-a-year on average would “risk” efforts to decrease sewage discharges. (Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

Water firms warn capping bills will harm efforts to stop sewage dumps

A new study has named and shamed the UK’s top 10 dirtiest beaches that have high levels of contamination. (Photo: Kim Mogg/NationalWorld)

UK's most polluted beaches mapped

Fierce sewage campaigner Feargal Sharkey has announced a new date for a sewage pollution protest named ‘March for Clean Water’. (Photo: Isabella Boneham / NationalWorld)

Feargal Sharkey announces new date for sewage pollution protest

Sodium Cyanide has been confirmed in a stretch of canal in Walsall after a chemical spill. (Photo: EXPRESS & STAR JAMIE RICKETTS)

Major incident declared as toxic chemical spills into UK river
Sodium Cyanide has been confirmed in a stretch of canal in Walsall after a chemical spill.
Isabella Boneham

Activists are calling on the public to email Ofwat and demand that Thames Water “loses its licence”. (Photo: Getty Images)

Public urged to call on Ofwat to 'terminate' Thames Water's contract

The government has announced new measures to crack down on water companies failing their customers. (Photo: Rui Vieira/PA Wire)

Water bill compensation to double for poor customer service

Ofwat has announced that it will appoint an independent monitor for Thames Water to supervise the company’s turnaround plan. (Photo: Getty Images)

New action taken against debt-riddled UK water firm

A storm drain covered in sewage detritus Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Water companies face £168m fine over sewage pollution

Steve Reed has confirmed that water bosses will face criminal charges over sewage dumping. (Photo: NationalWorld/Mark Hall)

Boring and weak from Reed as water bosses 'to face' criminal charges Isabella Boneham

Over 300 sewage pollution incidents have been recorded in a year by Anglian Water. (Photo: Getty Images)

Hundreds of pollution incidents recorded in a year by UK water firm

The Environment Agency has slammed the culture of water companies - saying it has led to pollution problems

Four UK water firms responsible for 90% of serious pollution incidents

The Liberal Democrats have warned that there were thousands more sewage dumps into Scotland’s waterways last year than previously known. (Photo: Getty Images)

Hidden figures shows Scotland's sewage crisis 'hugely underestimated'

The boss of Yorkshire Water has been paid a £1m pay package in what has been called the “biggest scam going”. (Photo: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Yorkshire Water)

UK water firm boss paid 'disgusting' £1m in 'biggest scam going'

Southern Water has paid its boss a £183,000 bonus - despite bills going up and a litany of pollution issues

UK water firm proposes 73% bill hike - then pays chief £183k bonus

Ofwat has opened an investigation into all 11 water firms in England and Wales over sewage spills. (Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

Major UK water firms investigated over sewage spills

Ofwat has revealed by how much water bills could rise in the coming years - as the companies are instructed to clean up their act by the new government

How much your water bill could rise by

Amber Keegan, who has swum competitively for almost 20 years, is attempting to swim the English Channel to raise money for Surfers Against Sewage. (Photo: Getty Images)

Student takes on English Channel to raise money for sewage charity

South East Water has said it needs a cash injection from investors to stay afloat. (Photo: Press Association Images/Press Association Images)

Second UK water firm admits it needs more money to stay afloat

As Ofwat announced water bills will rise by £94 across the next five years, the new Environment Secretary has vowed to “clean up” the water industry. (Photo: Lucy North/PA Wire)

Steve Reed vows 'change has begun' to 'clean up' water industry

Water bills are set to increase by an average of 21% across England and Wales over the next five years. (Photo: Rui Vieira/PA Wire)

Water bills to rise by 21%

Thames Water has been slammed as “disgraceful” as school trips and lessons have been “cancelled” due to sewage pollution. (Photo: Getty Images)

Thames Water ‘after our kids’ as school trips and lessons ‘cancelled’

Thames Water’s chief executive, Chris Weston, has taken home a £195,000 bonus despite the water firm’s debt swelling to more than £15 billion. This is disgusting. (Photo: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Thames Water)

Boss of debt-riddled Thames Water receiving £195k bonus is disgusting Isabella Boneham

As Thames Water warns it will run out of money by next June we take a look at who owns the water company - and how it ended up riddled in debt. (Photo: Getty Images)

Explainer Who owns Thames Water - and how did the firm get in so much debt

It is time to give power back to the people and bring debt-riddled Thames Water back under public ownership. (Photo: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg)

Plug the leak - bring Thames Water back into public ownership Isabella Boneham

In the first of its kind, Anglian Water has been fined £50k after being found guilty of not providing data to the Environment Agency. (Photo: Anglian Water)

UK water firm fined £50k for not handing over records

The clock is ticking on debt-ridden Thames Water as the water company warns it will run out of money by next June. (Photo: Getty Images)

UK water firm warns it will run out of money by next June

At least 35 triathletes have fallen seriously ill after swimming in the River Thames with one competitor “throwing up blood”. (Photo: Getty Images)

Triathletes rushed to hospital after swimming in UK river

The boss of South West Water has received a £30,000 pay rise despite households in Devon were told by the firm to boil their drinking water after a parasite outbreak. (Photo: NationalWorld/South West Water)

UK water firm boss to get £30k pay rise after Devon parasite outbreak

The boss of South West Water has apologised and admitted that “small traces” of the disease Cryptosporidium has been found in water samples. (Photo: Getty Images)

Water firm apologises over disease outbreak

Seventy-two UK beaches have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag Award for 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)

Best UK beaches to visit - awarded with 'excellent water quality'

A record amount of “s*** and pollution” is “clogging up” UK seas and rivers as sewage was released for over 400,000 hours in 2023. (Photo: Jonathan Salariya/Friends of the Earth/PA Wire)

Record amount of 's*** and pollution' is 'clogging up' UK seas

Thames Water “has weeks” to agree on a turnaround strategy with Ofwat to avoid collapsing after it has racked up a debt pile worth at least £14.7bn. (Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

UK water firm 'has weeks' to agree on plan to avoid collapse

Up to £11m in water company fines will be reinvested into a local scheme to improve waterways. (Photo: Emily Whitfield-Wicks/PA Wire)

Water firm fines will be reinvested to improve waterways