Severn Trent to Pay £2.2m Over Illegal Sewage Discharges
Published on 08/05/2026 at 00:57 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
Severn Trent has agreed to pay more than £2.2 million to environmental charities after investigations by the Environment Agency uncovered illegal sewage discharges and permit breaches. The settlement, totalling £2,277,424, comes through Enforcement Undertakings accepted by the regulator in May 2025 and February 2026 — a mechanism that lets companies avoid prosecution by funding environmental repairs.
£1.5m Payout for Wildlife Trust
The bulk of the payment, £1.5 million, has gone to the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. This follows two illegal discharges at the Blackminster Water Treatment Works on June 12 and August 20, 2022.
A separate ammonia permit breach at the Cheltenham Hayden Water Treatment Works, which occurred on or before September 13, 2021, has also been addressed. Severn Trent paid £327,424 to the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and £450,000 to the Severn Rivers Trust for this incident.
The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust will use its combined £1.8 million to support the Severn Treescapes project, a landscape-scale conservation initiative.
Hosepipe Ban Warning for 8 Million Customers
The settlement comes as Severn Trent urges its 8 million customers to conserve water to avoid the company's first hosepipe ban in 30 years. A drought has been declared in seven areas, including the West Midlands.
Gareth Mead, the firm's river rangers manager, advised the public to use water wisely and specifically avoid using sprinklers and hosepipes.
Infrastructure Upgrades and Local Repairs
Despite the water scarcity, the utility provider is pressing ahead with infrastructure improvements. Authorities in Shrewsbury have approved the construction of a new sodium hydroxide dosing building and two kiosks at the Shelton site. The project is part of a wider scheme including a pumping station and two covered reservoirs, designed to improve treatment processes and regulatory compliance.
The company has also dealt with localised service issues. After a leak was spotted on Cotswold Way in Worcester on August 1, a repair team was dispatched to fix the problem two days later. Severn Trent is also planning a water-themed family event in Worcester on August 6, part of its wider £29 million investment in regional water and wastewater improvements.
