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Economic Development

Anglian and South West Water to pay out £86m over wastewater spills

Both companies failed to have adequate processes and oversight by their senior management and board

A worker takes a break at the South West Water Hillhead Reservoir site(Image: Hugh Hastings/Getty Images)

Two º£½ÇÊÓÆµ water firms will have to pay out more than £86m worth of enforcement packages over failures linked to wastewater spills.

A director at regulator Ofwat said failures by Anglian Water and South West Water to maintain storm overflows and their sewage networks were “unacceptable”.

Ofwat confirmed it will require Anglian Water and its shareholders to pay £62.8m to go towards benefiting the environment and its customers.

The watchdog said its investigation found the water firm failed to run, maintain and upgrade its wastewater operations adequately to ensure they could cope with the flows of sewage and wastewater coming to them.

It also confirmed that fellow operator South West Water and its shareholders will need to pay out £24m.

Ofwat said it found a “range of failures” in how the water company managed its wastewater treatment works and sewer network.

In July, the water regulator originally announced in draft decisions that it would require the enforcement packages from the two suppliers.

Both companies failed to have adequate processes and oversight by their senior management and board to ensure its assets were performing adequately and meeting legal requirements, Ofwat said.