Tomorrow marks two years since we announced the launch of a major investigation into potential widespread non-compliance by water and sewerage companies at wastewater treatment works.
It is the largest ever criminal investigation we have undertaken to date. The investigation is examining potential breaches of environmental permit conditions by all water and sewerage companies operating in England.
As with any live criminal investigation, we are very limited as to what we can share about our inquiries. However, we are committed to sharing information where we can.
A key part of the current phase of our investigation is to conduct site visits to gather evidence. The extent of potential non-compliance involves more than 2000 wastewater treatment works. Specially selected ‘indicator sites’ have been identified to be representative of all the wastewater treatment works where offending may have occurred. Our specialist investigators have now completed visits to all of the 114 identified indicator sites which cover a spectrum of works ranging in size, across the entire area covered by each water company, and discharging to differing environmental and amenity sensitivities.
Each water company has had around 10 different site visits from our investigators. From these visits we have obtained evidence including the working practices at each site. We have focused on matters such as flow systems and monitors, maintenance regimes, management practices and site diaries to acquire an in-depth understanding of the works and to secure and preserve evidence relevant to our lines of inquiry. We are now analysing the data and the thousands of documents obtained. This will take many months.
When the investigation is complete we will consider all options available under our enforcement and sanction policy. Environmental permits exist to protect our environment and limit the impact of pollution; water companies have a legal responsibility to comply with their permit conditions.
While our investigation continues, our teams continue to conduct normal water company regulation activity at wastewater treatment works including auditing their compliance records and responding to reports of pollution incidents.
You can find more information about this investigation here.
5 comments
Comment by Ash Smith posted on
It took 2 years to get to just some of the crime scenes (18 months to decide to do it).
What was more important than preserving the evidence, data and physical?
Comment by Linda Jeal posted on
Agreed - What justifications are there for these delays?
Comment by Reco posted on
More than two months later, they would still not bother to answer your question! That, in itself, is a part of the answer you are looking for.
Comment by Tim Lacey posted on
So what’s happened? I have given up on fishing in England, it’s just not worth it with the state of the rivers. It seems that you can find resources to prosecute anglers but the water companies and agriculture seem to be able to continue to pollute and poison while you gather evidence and consider.
Comment by AMX Detective posted on
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