Press Statement: Response to Water Company Environmental Performance Assessment and new ​‘polluter pays’ legislation

• Environment Agency’s Water Companies’ Environmental Performance Assessment shows a trend of stagnation across the board
• New legislation from Defra to lift cap on civil fines is welcome but more is needed to clean up our rivers

"Today’s report on the environmental performance of water companies highlights the opportunities being missed to improve the state of our rivers. Given that the water sector currently contributes to more than half of rivers failing to meet good ecological status, water companies have a fundamental role to play in restoring our rivers and waterways. However, this report demontrates that there is still a long way to go for most. Calling this out is an important step in restoring public trust in the industry and identifying where improvements need to be made for long-term solutions."

"We would like to see both industry and regulators being more ambitious in their environmental standards and holding polluters to account to drive improvements. To really achieve healthier rivers, we need better monitoring and transparency over data, to combat misinformation and so that better decisions are available to help our rivers. Everyone involved needs to pull together to tackle the challenges and focus on scaling up nature-based solutions to deliver the greatest benefits for our wider environment, as well as clear governance structures to ensure value for money."

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive