Three UK water bosses give up bonuses after anger over sewage
Three water company bosses have given up their bonuses in an acknowledgment of the public anger over companies’ dumping of sewage in Britain’s rivers.
The chief executives of Yorkshire Water and Thames Water as well as the owner of South West Water have declined to accept bonuses this year.
Water companies have been criticised for raking in profits and their executives receiving large pay packets and while sewage has regularly been released into Britain’s rivers and seas in large quantities.
Nicola Shaw, of Yorkshire Water, said she understood the “strength of feeling” on river pollution and had decided to refuse what would have been her first bonus since joining the company in May 2022.
Annual reports show she could have received between £600,000 and £800,000 if the company met its performance targets. Last year the company paid out £878,000 in bonuses to directors.
She said: “I understand the strength of feeling about the issues linked to river health which is why I’ve decided that this year I won’t be accepting a bonus.
“This is the right thing to do and I’m committed to improving Yorkshire Water’s performance.”
Sarah Bentley, who runs Thames Water and last year received a £496,000 payout, forwent her payout alongside the company’s chief financial officer, Alastair Cochran, who will also skip his bonus for 2022-23. He received £298,000 last year.
Bentley said it “just did not feel like the right thing to take performance-related pay this year”.
South West Water’s Susan Davy, who received £522,000 last year, will also not receive a bonus. “This is the right thing to do. We’re listening to our customers, we get it,” said Davy, whose company split untreated sewage 37,649 times last year. She runs Pennon Group, the listed owner of
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