Bonuses for water bosses in England up 20% last year despite sewage failures
The annual bonuses paid to water company executives rose by 20% in 2021, despite most of the firms failing to meet sewage pollution targets.
Figures show on average executives received £100,000 in one-off payments on top of their salaries, during a period in which foul water was being pumped for 2.7m hours into England’s rivers and swimming spots.
The analysis of water companies’ annual reports found that their bonus pool for executives now stands at more than £600,000 a company on average.
In total the 22 water bosses paid themselves £24.8m, including £14.7m in bonuses, benefits and incentives, in 2021-2022.
This summer, sewage releases have continued to blight the country’s coastline, with holidaymakers told to stay away from the sea at some beaches this week. Data suggests recent discharges have taken place in coastal areas of Cornwall, Cumbria, Devon, Essex, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland and Sussex.
Devon’s beaches are among those where locals and visitors have been urged not to swim due to the human waste pumped into the ocean.
Severn Trent gave out the highest payouts in bonuses, base pay and benefits to executives, topping the chart at £5,939,300, and United Utilities came second, paying £4,218,000.
Richard Foord, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, has seen beaches in his constituency marked as unsafe this week as a result of sewage discharges, and said: “Local people and holidaymakers shouldn’t be forced to swim amidst human waste. Devon’s beaches are amongst the best in the world but the government is turning a blind eye while private companies ruin them.”
The south coast has been particularly badly hit by the sewage spills, with Sussex facing beach closures.
MPs from Sussex have written to Southern
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