Anglian Water Services Ltd to be sentenced in July – Environment Agency

Anglian Water Services Ltd was found guilty of failing, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the Environment Agency's obligation to provide records.

The water company was found guilty and the case was referred to July 5, 2024for a sentencing hearing to take place at Peterborough Magistrates' Court.

The case was brought by the Environment Agency against Anglian Water Services Ltd, following a wider criminal investigation involving the ten water companies into potential non-compliance with environmental permit conditions in more than 2,000 wastewater treatment plants.

Since the investigation was launched, the Environment Agency has met several legal requirements for records on the company.

Anglian Water Services Ltd was found guilty of failing, without reasonable excuse, to respond to one of these notices, served under section 108 of the Environment Act 1995, contrary to section 110 (2) (a) of the Environment Act 1995 between the dates January 2022 and January 2023.

Anglian Water Services Ltd had pleaded not guilty, saying it had a reasonable excuse for not complying.

However, after hearing the evidence in the case, District Judge Kenneth Sheraton rejected that claim.

Anglian Water supplies more than six million residential and business customers across the east of England and Hartlepool.

Anglian Water

Last year, Anglian Water was taken to court after failing to prevent what was described as “the equivalent of three Olympic swimming pools' worth of sewage being released into the sea in one month”.

The company was fined a record for environmental offenses in the East of England region after untreated sewage entered the North Sea.

The water company pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court and was fined £2.65 million following prosecution by the Environment Agency.

He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of more than £16,000 and a victim surcharge of £170, resulting in a total financial penalty of £170. £2,666,690.09.

The Environment Agency said a “catalogue of failures” by the company in the management and monitoring of effluent from the Jaywick Water Recycling Center in Essex had led to the discharge of wastewater into the sea.