Anglian Water hit with record £1.4million fine for drinking water failures

Between June and December 2021, the company used unapproved materials at four separate sites across its network, which were installed into drinking water tanks, Northampton Crown Court was told.

Anglian Water reported the failures to the Drinking Water Inspectorate and pleaded guilty in court.

The DWI’s investigation found the company had repeatedly used unapproved plastic-based products to externally coat pipework submerged within their drinking water tanks. These coatings later broke down into flakes and powder which entered the water supply.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed, said: “Contamination of drinking water on any scale is scandalous and a complete disgrace.

“The record £1.4m fine handed down sends a clear signal that this criminal behaviour is unacceptable.

“As part of our Plan for Change, our landmark Water Act means polluting water bosses face two-year prison sentences and bans unfair multi-million-pound bonuses.”

Marcus Rink, chief inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate said: “Public health and drinking water quality must be the highest priority, and there can be no compromise.

“We’ve taken firm action in the public interest to ensure the company has removed all non-compliant material so that customers can remain confident in their water supplies.”

All issues across Anglian Water’s network have now been rectified. As part of its role to ensure that water supplies remain safe, the Inspectorate uses robust scientific, evidence based investigatory methods to ensure water companies comply with legislation and are appropriately held to account.

The investigation also uncovered wider issues around Anglian Water’s management of its materials and contractors.

It found a lack of staff training, poor oversight of the supply chain, and in some cases, water tanks continued to be used even after the company knew they contained unapproved products.

Anglian Water pleaded guilty to five offences under Regulation 31 of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016. The regulations are in place to ensure only tested, approved and safe materials come into contact with drinking water. While serious breaches are rare, the case highlighted how crucial it is for companies to follow rules carefully – or face serious consequences if they fail to do so.

An Anglian Water spokesperson said: “We apologise for and regret breaching Regulation 31 and accept the judgement for the five sites in 2021. The procedures we had in place fell short and as a result, we have since invested significantly to improve these and have shared our learnings across the water industry.

“Protecting the water supply of our customers could not be more fundamental to our business, this is reflected in the fact we have not had a drinking water prosecution in over 20 years. Despite the breach, there was no evidence of any contamination of the water supply and the judge agreed based on independent expert reports that the risk to customers was very low. This view was supported by DWI-appointed experts, UKHSA. We continue to work with our regulator to ensure best practice is followed at all times.”

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