Press Statement: Thames Water fine must be spent on rescuing rivers
Statement in response to the news that Thames Water has been fined £122.7m for breaching of rules in relation to wastewater management and shareholder dividends
28/05/25
Today’s decision by Ofwat is a welcome sign that the regulators are finally showing their teeth in tackling poor performance in the water industry. It is imperative that these fines are used to rectify the environmental harm our rivers have been suffering from as a result of their actions, to uphold the principle of polluter pays, and to ensure that they are not lost to the black hole of Treasury.
We are still looking forward to a future where water companies are not lurching from fine to fine and financial crisis, where our rivers are healthy, well-functioning systems that can cope with the increasing incidence of flood and drought, making space for water and nature. We hope Sir Jon Cunliffe’s Independent review of the water system will make this future possible.
Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive