Millions of pounds of fines imposed on water firms will fund environmental schemes to protect the country’s waterways after fears the money would be diverted to the Treasury.
The water restoration fund was set up by the Conservative government to ensure that polluting water firms paid for the damage they caused. The fund received £11m in fines and penalties from April 2022 to October 2023.
It was reported in January that the Treasury was looking to keep money earmarked for projects across the country. River trusts have submitted bids to improve and monitor the health of a number of rivers, including the River Derwent in Derbyshire and the River Waveney on the Norfolk-Suffolk border.
De-privatising is the only real solution. For profit companies in a sector where there are regional monopolies is, frankly, fucking stupid.
No competition no choice but ever growing margins and increasing pollution. Lose-lose unless you’re a shareholder (that lives far from a sewage overflow location)
Yup. Water, amongst other things, should be a human right, having it for profit is ridiculous.
The water IS free in the UK. You just have to extract it yourself.
This is a good start, however this part is of some concern:
Environmental campaigners wanted an amendment in the new bill to ensure all future fines imposed on water firms would be ringfenced for restoration projects. The amendment was not included in the new bill and ministers have been repeatedly challenged over how future criminal fines and civil penalties will be used.
So they didn’t even put this scotch tape solution into the bill? Water companies should be nationalised to prevent them from committing these crimes in the first place.
So they finally, after years, start taking this seriously. Better late than never.
On a related note, in the US, they just started the same shit the UK is about to stop.
I believe it when I see it (and don’t smell it anymore)!
Good move but only if the water companys are not allowed to increase consumers prices to pay for fines whilst still paying dividends and bonuses.
