The UK Environment and Water Authority announced on Thursday that it was investigating water companies for wastewater treatment, some of whom admitted to being unlicensed and facing prosecution.
The research will review nearly 2,500 wastewater treatment projects, the two organizations said in a statement.
Any company that violates the rules will be subject to “coercive measures”, namely prosecutions and fines that can reach 10% of the annual turnover in civil proceedings, and an unlimited amount in criminal proceedings, they clarified.
The Environment Agency had asked water companies to install a monitoring system to ensure that an adequate level of wastewater is treated before it is discharged to waterways.
As a result of this measure, the Environment Agency explained, several of these companies admitted that their wastewater treatment system “may not comply” with the regulations. The British service did not specify which ones.
These discharges are regularly denounced by residents and environmental activists, who accuse the government of not being strict enough with water companies.
“Water companies urgently need to take immediate action to comply with their legal obligations,” said Deputy Environment Minister Rebecca Pau.
For Richard Benwell, who leads the Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition, “the government must guarantee that our underfunded water regulators will have an arsenal of economic and legal options to ensure that environmental crimes companies will not go unpunished. “
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