A regulator has proposed that Wessex Water should pay £11m over failures to adequately operate and maintain its wastewater network.
Wessex Water and its shareholders will fund the enforcement package, according to initial proposals from Ofwat.
It follows similar investigations and payouts from water firms earlier this year including Yorkshire Water, Thames Water, Northumbrian Water, Anglian Water and South West Water.
These resulted in enforcement actions worth around £240m.
On Tuesday, the watchdog said the failures related to the maintenance of Wessex Water’s network to ensure it could cope with flows of sewage and wastewater. It added that this resulted in spills from storm overflows.
Ofwat stressed that the company will not be able to cover the cost of the enforcement action through its customers or increases to bills.
However, it comes after the company put up its water bills by an average of 20%, or £113, this year.
Lynn Parker, senior director for enforcement at Ofwat, said: “Our investigation has found that Wessex Water failed to effectively operate, maintain and upgrade its wastewater assets, which meant there were spills from storm overflows when there shouldn’t have been.
“To their credit, the company has been one of the more proactive in investigating and rectifying the problems identified. However, there remain breaches which must be accounted for and corrected.”
The water company, which is owned by Malaysian firm YTL, is required to help local landowners seal sewer pipes to prevent unnecessary groundwater reaching Wessex Water’s network as part of the enforcement plans.
Ofwat has also said it must reduce spills at specific storm overflows through investment, and install additional monitoring equipment.
Wessex Water has been contacted for comment.
