Latest news with #Ofwat
Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Thames Water shortlisted for string of awards before being hit with £122.7m fine
The debt-ridden water firm was this week slapped with the huge penalty by watchdog Ofwat after breaking rules on sewage and dividend payouts - after being shortlisted for 12 industry awards Shamed Thames Water was shortlisted for a string of awards before being hit with a record £122.7 million fine. The debt-ridden firm was this week slapped with the watchdog penalty after breaking rules on sewage and dividend payouts. But we can reveal the disgraced company was earlier picked as a finalist no fewer than 14 times at an industry awards ceremony being held next month in Birmingham. It comes as footage shows the beleaguered firm's boss moaning about regulator Ofwat before sitting back relaxing watching cricket at work. The Water Industry Awards features a drinks reception, three-course dinner, as well as post-ceremony celebrations – with carriages at 1am. 'Platinum' tables for ten are priced at nearly £6,000 and include wine as well as a choice of either champagne or beer. There is even port to go with a cheese board and crackers. Single spots for the awards, said to feature 'a high-profile presenter', cost as much as £599 each. The Lib Dems ' Environment spokesperson Tim Farron said: "The last thing Thames Water deserves is a medal and it is completely scandalous that they are being praised after another shockingly bad year for the failing company which has just been fined for sewage pollution and payout breaches. Customers deserve affordable bills, clean waters and well maintained infrastructure. Thanks to Thames Water's incompetence, this is far from what customers get. Instead of prizes, the government should put Thames Water into special administration to manage their mountain of debt, and turn it into a public benefit company, so that customers finally start to see some value for money." CEO of charity River Action, James Wallace, added: 'It's frankly bizarre for Thames Water to be basking in awards season while our rivers are still full of human waste. We're not killjoys and when the pollution stops, we'll be the first to applaud. But celebration must follow accountability, not distraction from a record-breaking environmental failure.' And Green MP Ellie Chowns said of Thames Water: 'If there was an awards category for sheer cheek, they would be runaway winners. As long as private companies profit while polluting our waterways, this will keep happening.' A probe into Thames' sewage treatment works found "a series of failures by the company to build, maintain and operate adequate infrastructure," water regulator Ofwat said. The money must be paid by Thames and its investors, not customers, the watchdog added. The penalty is broken down into £104.5 million for the sewage investigation, plus £18.2 million for breaking rules over dividend payments. Earlier this week, Ofwat's chief executive David Black said: "This is a clear-cut case where Thames Water has let down its customers and failed to protect the environment." In stark contrast, Thames Water is a finalist in a dozen categories at the next month's awards – including three times for alliance or partnership of the year. It is also a finalist in the circular economy, customer initiative, groundbreaker, health and safety initiative, wastewater innovation project and leakage initiative categories. Other categories it is a finalist in include digitalisation project, asset management initiative, net zero carbon initiative, smart water networks, and water efficiency project. The footage of Thames Water boss Chris Weston watching cricket featured in a behind-the-scenes BBC documentary aired earlier this year. The CEO complains about "invasive" regulator Ofwat before viewing a clip of England playing while he sits at an office desk. 'They're getting more and more interested and intrusive around dividends… it's quite surprising,' he says. He adds: 'I think they have all the powers they need. But then I would say that, wouldn't I?' The camera then cuts to show him clicking a mouse to enjoy a cricket clip on the computer screen in front of him. Mr Weston is shown enlarging the footage full-screen so he can watch before relaxing back into his chair. Water firms have faced public outrage over the extent of pollution, rising bills, high dividends, and executive pay and bonuses. Thames hiked consumer water bills for its 16 million customers by an average of 31% in April. A Thames Water spokesperson said: "We are delighted to see our colleagues positively recognised for the work they do 24/7 to keep taps flowing and toilets flushing by being shortlisted for… industry awards, demonstrating our commitment to deliver life's essential service. "It is important that we recognise our people so that we can continue to retain talent in our industry. Over the next five years we will deliver a record amount of investment to address our ageing infrastructure as we remain focused on turning around our performance to deliver for customers, communities and the environment.'
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Grand Wiltshire home of former Prime Minister gets top award
A former Prime Minister's home has been been recognised as one of the top visitor attractions in the country. Arundells, the former home of Conservative leader Sir Edward Heath, has been awarded VisitEngland's Quality Assured Visitor Attraction status. The historic house, located in Cathedral Close, Salisbury, was given an overall quality score of 86 per cent following its first inspection by VisitEngland. The house was described as "unexpectedly captivating" with a "refreshingly personal and authentic" atmosphere and "immersive charm." Read more: Why Thames Water was hit with record breaking fine by Ofwat The volunteers were also praised for their warmth and knowledge. The report also highlighted the well-maintained gardens, preserved interiors, and the unique opportunity to step into the private world of one of Britain's former Prime Ministers. Luke Futcher, events and marketing manager at Arundells, said: "We are delighted to receive this national recognition from VisitEngland. "It reflects the care and commitment of our staff and volunteers, and the distinctive, high-quality experience we strive to offer every visitor." This recognition adds to a successful year for Arundells. Earlier in 2025, the house achieved Arts Council England Accredited Museum status, and in the spring, it won the Visitor Experience Award at the Salisbury Business Excellence Awards. Arundells was originally a medieval canonry, with the first recorded occupant being Henry of Blunston, Archdeacon of Dorset, who lived there from 1291 until his death in 1316. The house has seen many occupants over the centuries, including Leonard Bilson, who was pilloried and imprisoned for acts of sorcery and magic in 1571, and Sir Richard Mompesson, who undertook major restoration works in 1609. The name "Arundells" comes from James Everard Arundell, son of the 6th Lord Arundell, who married John Wyndham's daughter, Ann. The Arundells were a distinguished Roman Catholic family. Read more: Building 700 homes at old golf course 'best option' for the area Arundells hosted the Godolphin Girls School (and later a boys boarding school) between 1839 and 1844. During the Second World War, the house was used by the Red Cross as a centre for their library service and as a wool depot. The property fell into disrepair and demolition was considered following a long period of neglect. Extensive refurbishment works were undertaken by Mr and Mrs Robert Hawkings in 1964. Sir Edward Heath, who lived at Arundells from 1985 until his death in 2005, bequeathed the house to the Charitable Foundation set up in his name. He wanted as many people as possible to "share the beauty of Arundells" and enjoy his diverse and personal collection of artwork, photographs, sailing memorabilia and political cartoons.
Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Times
I've driven 4,858 miles around the UK coast. Our seas are in a bad way
This week Ofwat, the water regulator for England and Wales, fined Thames Water a record £123 million for sewage spills and for paying dividends despite failing to reach customer service and environmental targets. Kudos to Ofwat for showing its teeth, but I can confirm that fining water companies after the fact won't stop you, your children, or your dog getting sick at the seaside this summer. As I write, sewage is being pumped into the sea in 47 locations on the English and Welsh coasts, including Sheringham, Gorleston, Hythe, Hastings, Bexhill, Hove, eight locations on the Isle of Wight, Mill Bay opposite Salcombe, East Looe, Mumbles, Solva and Llandudno. For the past 17 years I've made an annual circumnavigation of the British and Northern Irish coasts researching the The Times and Sunday Times Best UK Beaches guide. It's a tradition to begin and end the trip with a swim in the first and last beaches on the list. This year, the inaugural dip was at Holme-next-the-Sea, in my home county of Norfolk. The beach isn't monitored by government sampling teams and I was unaware of Environment Agency (EA) advice against bathing at Old Hunstanton, a mile-and-a-half west, so I waded in confident that the chances of being poisoned were negligible. The E. coli infection that arrived with impressive violence at 3am, in a tent, three days later, suggested otherwise, but it was a calamity I'd brought upon myself. My dog, on the other hand, was an innocent victim. He fell into a hole full of effluent on a suspiciously soggy footpath 200 yards downhill from a water treatment plant outside Exmouth, Devon. He spent the next 72 hours in a miserable state. South West Water confirmed that a pollution incident had been reported there six days earlier, but had concluded that the leak wasn't theirs and the water flowing down the lane had possibly come from 'a natural groundwater spring'. Whether that is the case or not, the greater truth is that we should no longer be confident that our rivers and seas won't poison us. Over the past four weeks I've inspected more than 600 beaches in the UK and Northern Ireland. It was the back end of the sunniest spring on record, and yet I saw significantly fewer surfers, swimmers or paddleboarders than I've seen in previous years. That could be that such fads are out of fashion — in 2021 it seemed that the entire nation had bought inflatable SUPs — but I fear that it's actually because we're all more wary of our inshore waters. Sewage has oozed into the public consciousness via news stories, pressure from groups such as Surfers Against Sewage and the Rivers Trust, and the coverage from The Times' Clean It Up campaign. There's even been effluent on The Archers, with clean water activist Feargal Sharkey pointing the finger for the Ambridge sewage spill at Borchester Water. The official statistics justify our fears. The number of beaches rated by the Environment Agency as insufficient — ie containing unsafe levels of faecal matter — has increased from four in 2021 to 37 in 2024. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: 'The number of Poor (sic) bathing waters rose to the highest level since adopting the four-tier classification system in 2015,' but noted that 'in-part this reflects the designation of new sites not previously managed to meet bathing water standards.' You'll find beaches deemed too polluted to swim in this summer in Tynemouth, Bridlington, Clacton, Dymchurch, Bognor Regis, Worthing, Southsea, Lyme Regis, Weston-Super-Mare and Blackpool. Saddest of all the failures, though, is Scarborough. The seaside holiday is said to have been invented there, but now Defra warns against bathing in South Bay and gives North Bay the lowly 'sufficient' rating that I no longer trust. That's bad for business. 'People think dirty water, dirty town,' a shopkeeper called Fran told me last week. 'No one wants their kids to get sick. I understand that. But it's killing us.' • 12 of the best places to visit in the UK Let's not forget, though, that last year 424 of the 675 monitored bathing waters in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were rated excellent. That's 63 per cent, which sounds good until you learn that in Cyprus it's 97.6 per cent, Croatia 96.7 and Spain 87.6, with an EU average of 85 per cent. And a Defra three-star rating is no guarantee that you won't get sick. Rain has been washing faecal matter into streams and on to beaches for millenia, but the menace of the Combined Sewage Outfall (CSO) is a 21st-century problem. Victorian engineers designed our sewage systems to channel wastewater from homes and businesses in the same pipes as groundwater from rainfall. These combined sewers fed into treatment works where the contaminants were removed and the clean water was returned to the environment. In the unlikely event, as it was then, that excess wastewater threatened to overwhelm the treatment works, the CSO could divert untreated sewage and contaminated surface water directly to rivers or the sea. That worked just fine in the 19th century, but as the population grew from around 40 million in 1898 to 69 million today, lack of investment stunted infrastructure growth and now it takes just a few hours of rain, or a fault at the treatment works, to trigger a CSO discharge. Defra lists 14,254 active CSOs operated by ten water companies in England and Wales. If you see a long pipe jutting out from a beach, that's one of them. Last year, they discharged 450,398 times, pumping faecal matter and whatever else we flushed down our toilets for 3,614,428 hours. To put that in context, if each CSO discharged in turn, the pollution incident would have ended would have ended sometime in the 2430s. South West Water ran its 1,370 CSOs for 544,439 hours in 2024. Severn Trent for 454,155 hours and Anglian Water for 448,938. Thames Water dumped sewage for a mere 298,081 hours. • Inspired by the Salt Path? These are the best sections to walk In an average of 38.6 per cent of cases, water companies blamed exceptional weather as the cause of the discharge. Asset maintenance was responsible for 20.1 per cent; and insufficient capacity 37.8 per cent. That suggests that just short of 60 per cent, on average, of the sewage dumped in our rivers and seas last year was due to infrastructural inadequacies. The total cost of bringing our water system up to 21st-century standards is a staggering £290 billion, according to the National Audit Office, but even a quarter of that would go a long way towards keeping our rivers and seas clean. So it might make you a bit sick to learn that between privatisation in 1990 and 2023, water companies paid out £72.9 billion in dividends. That's just a few drops over 25 per cent of that £290 billion. Our coast is the most beautiful on Earth, and our water companies treat it like a gutter. So let's fight them on the beaches. Start with a Two-Minute Beach Clean. Pioneered in Bude in Cornwall, the movement now has litter-picking stations at 1,200 locations across the UK and Ireland and has reduced rubbish in some places by 61 per cent. • 15 of the most beautiful places in England Or join an organised beach clean operated by the National Trust, Surfers Against Sewage or community action groups: if they're happening, you'll see the posters. Email your concerns to your MP, keep a close eye on your water company through local and national media, and if you see — or smell — a sewage spill, report it to the Environment Agency Pollution Hotline on 0800 80 70 60, or to the Surfers Against Sewage hotline on 01872 555950. Finally, before you head to the seaside this summer, download the Safer Seas and Rivers Service app from Surfers Against Sewage. It shows bathing water ratings, pollution alerts and CSO discharges in real time. Join the conversation in the comments below
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Thames Water hit with largest ever fine for water company over sewage spills and breaking rules
RECORD WATER FINE Thames Water hit with largest ever fine for water company over sewage spills and breaking rules Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THAMES WATER has been hit with a £122.7million fine — the largest ever for a water company. It will pay £104.5million for sewage spills, plus £18.2million for breaking the rules over dividend payments. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Watchdog Ofwat slammed the struggling company for 'letting down its customers and failing to protect the environment'. It said Thames had 'routinely and not in exceptional circumstances' released untreated sewage. And, issuing its first fine over shareholder payments, it highlighted one of £37.5million in October 2023 to the firm's holding company — plus another £131.3million dividend from March 2024. Ofwat boss David Black, said: 'Our investigation has uncovered a series of failures by the company to build, maintain and operate adequate infrastructure.' Mike Keil, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water, said Thames' actions were a 'serious betrayal of customers and the environment'. The fine must be paid by Thames and its investors, and not be passed on to its 16 million customers. Thames hiked its bills by an average of 31 per cent in April. It owes £19billion and is trying to restructure its finances through a sale to US investment firm KKR. Thames insisted it takes its environmental responsibilities 'very seriously' and said it was making progress addressing the issues. Doubling Compensation for Water Issues: Government's Big Move 4 Thames Water has been hit with a £122.7million fine Credit: PA BRANCH GROWTH NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY says customers have been flocking to its branches over the past year as rival banks pull out of high streets. Nearly 200,000 more have used its branches. Nationwide has the second-largest branch network in the UK behind Lloyds. But Lloyds has been axing hundreds in recent years — with 136 more set to shut over the next year. Nationwide, meanwhile, has pledged to keep all of its nearly 700 branches open until at least the start of 2028. A PAW YEAR FOR PROFIT 4 Pets At Home reported a 16.6 per cent fall in profits Credit: Getty RISING costs and lower animal sales have both dealt a blow to Pets At Home. The chain reported a 16.6 per cent fall in profits in the year to the end of March, to £72.9million. The firm benefited from the boom in pet ownership during the pandemic but demand has fallen since. Profits at its vet arm climbed almost a quarter to £75.9million. But it is facing a probe over prices on items such as pet medications. CLOSING five depots and simplifying its structure has helped Magners and Tennent's maker C&C Group return to profit, as it made £38.5million last year, compared to a £70.9million loss in 2023. It sent shares climbing by 3 per cent. B&Q'S HOT SPELL THE recent warm weather has helped sales at B&Q owner Kingfisher to bounce back up by 5.9 per cent in the past three months. Seasonal products such as garden furniture has flown off the shelves, with sales up by almost a third across B&Q. And they were a fifth higher at Screwfix. But Kingfisher's boss Thierry Garnier remained cautious, warning that 'consumer sentiment remains mixed'. Traders agreed with his negative view, sending shares down almost four per cent. METER SCANDAL'S £140 PAYOUTS 4 Eight companies are set to pay £5.6million in compensation over the meter scandal Credit: Getty EIGHT energy companies will pay an average £140 compensation to 40,000 customers forced to have pay-as-you-go meters installed. They will pay £5.6million in compensation using guidelines set out by Ofgem. They have also agreed to write off £13million of energy debts from customers who had a prepayment energy meter force-fitted between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023. The firms involved are Scottish Power, EDF, Octopus, Utility Warehouse, Good Energy, Tru Energy and Ecotricity. Octopus inherited force-fitting cases when they acquired customers. The firms have agreed to the compensation, ordered by Ofgem after a review. The watchdog's Tim Jarvis said: 'Our priority has been to put things right. "We've made our expectations clear to suppliers on how customers who were treated poorly should be compensated.' Some firms tried to ensure struggling customers paid their bills by forcing their way into their homes to install a meter, often when they were out. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said of yesterday's ruling: 'Justice is finally being delivered to many of the families, lots of them vulnerable, who were affected by the scandal.' Dhara Vyas, chief of Energy UK, said: 'Suppliers have worked hard to co- operate with this review.' Customers will be contacted by their suppliers and do not need to take action. GOOGLE'S £25BN RAP GOOGLE is facing a £25billion lawsuit in Britain over its 'excessive and unfair prices' in online advertising. Roger Kaye KC, a former deputy High Court judge, has filed a lawsuit arguing that Google uses its dominant position to charge excessive rates. He is seeking compensation for all advertisers who have paid for search advertising since 2011. Mr Kaye says it has affected between 500,000 and 1.5million advertisers. GROCERY INFLATION 2YR HIGH 4 Grocery price inflation is at its highest since February 2023 Credit: Reuters GROCERY price inflation has surged to 4.1 per cent — the highest since February 2023, according to analysts. The figure takes the UK into 'new territory', warned market research company Kantar. Prices rose the fastest for chocolate treats, suncare products, butter and spreads. May's hot weather sent sun cream sales climbing 36 per cent. Other rises included potato salad (up 32 per cent) chilled burgers (27), prepared salads and coleslaw (both 19). Meanwhile, prices fell the fastest for dog and cat food, and household paper products. Fraser McKevitt, from Kantar, said: 'Households have been adapting their buying habits to manage budgets for some time. 'But we typically see changes once inflation tips beyond the three per cent to four per cent point as people notice the impact on their wallets.' He said own-label lines were currently the fastest growing part of the market.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Thames Water hit with largest ever fine for water company over sewage spills and breaking rules
THAMES WATER has been hit with a £122.7million fine — the largest ever for a water company. It will pay £104.5million for sewage spills, plus £18.2million for breaking the rules over dividend payments. Watchdog Ofwat slammed the struggling company for 'letting down its customers and failing to protect the environment'. It said Thames had 'routinely and not in exceptional circumstances' released untreated sewage. And, issuing its first fine over shareholder payments, it highlighted one of £37.5million in October 2023 to the firm's holding company — plus another £131.3million dividend from March 2024. Ofwat boss David Black, said: 'Our investigation has uncovered a series of failures by the company to build, maintain and operate adequate infrastructure.' Mike Keil, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water, said Thames' actions were a 'serious betrayal of customers and the environment'. The fine must be paid by Thames and its investors, and not be passed on to its 16 million customers. Thames hiked its bills by an average of 31 per cent in April. It owes £19billion and is trying to restructure its finances through a sale to US investment firm KKR. Thames insisted it takes its environmental responsibilities 'very seriously' and said it was making progress addressing the issues. Doubling Compensation for Water Issues: Government's Big Move 4 BRANCH GROWTH NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY says customers have been flocking to its branches over the past year as rival banks pull out of high streets. Nearly 200,000 more have used its branches. Nationwide has the second-largest branch network in the UK behind Lloyds. But Lloyds has been axing hundreds in recent years — with 136 more set to shut over the next year. Nationwide, meanwhile, has pledged to keep all of its nearly 700 branches open until at least the start of 2028. A PAW YEAR FOR PROFIT 4 RISING costs and lower animal sales have both dealt a blow to Pets At Home. The chain reported a 16.6 per cent fall in profits in the year to the end of March, to £72.9million. The firm benefited from the boom in pet ownership during the pandemic but demand has fallen since. Profits at its vet arm climbed almost a quarter to £75.9million. But it is facing a probe over prices on items such as pet medications. CLOSING five depots and simplifying its structure has helped Magners and Tennent's maker C&C Group return to profit, as it made £38.5million last year, compared to a £70.9million loss in 2023. It sent shares climbing by 3 per cent. B&Q'S HOT SPELL THE recent warm weather has helped sales at B&Q owner Kingfisher to bounce back up by 5.9 per cent in the past three months. Seasonal products such as garden furniture has flown off the shelves, with sales up by almost a third across B&Q. And they were a fifth higher at Screwfix. But Kingfisher's boss Thierry Garnier remained cautious, warning that 'consumer sentiment remains mixed'. Traders agreed with his negative view, sending shares down almost four per cent. METER SCANDAL'S £140 PAYOUTS 4 EIGHT energy companies will pay an average £140 compensation to 40,000 customers forced to have pay-as-you-go meters installed. They will pay £5.6million in compensation using guidelines set out by Ofgem. They have also agreed to write off £13million of energy debts from customers who had a prepayment energy meter force-fitted between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023. The firms involved are Scottish Power, EDF, Octopus, Utility Warehouse, Good Energy, Tru Energy and Ecotricity. Octopus inherited force-fitting cases when they acquired customers. The firms have agreed to the compensation, ordered by Ofgem after a review. The watchdog's Tim Jarvis said: 'Our priority has been to put things right. "We've made our expectations clear to suppliers on how customers who were treated poorly should be compensated.' Some firms tried to ensure struggling customers paid their bills by forcing their way into their homes to install a meter, often when they were out. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said of yesterday's ruling: 'Justice is finally being delivered to many of the families, lots of them vulnerable, who were affected by the scandal.' Dhara Vyas, chief of Energy UK, said: 'Suppliers have worked hard to co- operate with this review.' Customers will be contacted by their suppliers and do not need to take action. GROCERY INFLATION 2YR HIGH 4 GROCERY price inflation has surged to 4.1 per cent — the highest since February 2023, according to analysts. The figure takes the UK into 'new territory', warned market research company Kantar. Prices rose the fastest for chocolate treats, suncare products, butter and spreads. May's hot weather sent sun cream sales climbing 36 per cent. Other rises included potato salad (up 32 per cent) chilled burgers (27), prepared salads and coleslaw (both 19). Meanwhile, prices fell the fastest for dog and cat food, and household paper products. Fraser McKevitt, from Kantar, said: 'Households have been adapting their buying habits to manage budgets for some time. 'But we typically see changes once inflation tips beyond the three per cent to four per cent point as people notice the impact on their wallets.' He said own-label lines were currently the fastest growing part of the market.
