Thanks once more to Dottie’s Phone for alerting me to this.
From the Guardian today:
The water regulator is taking action against four more water companies, including Severn Trent and United Utilities, meaning every wastewater company in England and Wales is under investigation over sewage spills.
Ofwat said it had served formal notices on Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Severn Trent and United Utilities, asking them to provide evidence for its investigation into companies’ wastewater management in England and Wales.
The regulator has looked at the companies’ environmental performance and data about how often they spill from storm overflows. It said this had heightened its “concerns that these companies may not be fulfilling their obligations to protect the environment and minimise pollution”.
This means Ofwat is taking enforcement action against all 11 water and wastewater companies in England and Wales over sewage pollution. Once it has fully investigated, it will publish its findings and where appropriate take action over any breaches of legal obligations.
Meanwhile, from SEPA in December 2023:
Civil penalties totalling £85,700 have been served by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in 2023 for breaches of environmental regulation.
They include 13 Fixed Monetary Penalties of either £300 or £600 for offences such as burning waste, breaches of water use licences, discharges of sewage effluent and failing to provide SEPA with copies of documents requested in a notice.
For a discharge of sewage effluent to the water environment, £600 each: Sands Caravan and Camping Limited, Wester Ross and Robert Main Ellen, Muir of Ord.
https://beta.sepa.scot/news/2023/sepa-serves-85-700-of-civil-penalties-during-2023/
Who is Robert Main Ellen and why is he discharging sewage? Can’t find him.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Received an email from “organise network” about mounting a legal challenge to water companies over sewage leaks. Good intentions but, once again England and Wales = UK.
“BREAKING NEWS: Every single water firm in England and Wales is now under investigation over sewage spills since regulator Ofwat started taking action against four more water companies. The same water companies dumping sewage into UK waterways are the same companies hitting back saying the proposed 21% bill increases aren’t good enough.
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SACK OR PROSCUTE ALL DIRECTORS OF THESE CORRUPT WATER COMPANIES
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They don’t apply to Scotland where Scottish water is not in private hands.
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Not wholly correct, Hetty. Domestic water isn’t in private hands, but water supplies to and waste water removal from businesses was privatised by the then Tory UK Gov. As I remember it, that Tory Gov had intended to privatise domestic water too, but an advisory referendum run by Strathclyde Regional Council showed a massive 97.2% vote in favour of keeping water in public control. Labour defeated them in 1997 before they could enact it and by that time the move towards devolution made it clear that power over water would be transferred to the Scottish Gov. To this day water services for businesses remains privatised
Don’t take my word for it: here’s the full story:
https://www.believeinscotland.org/scottish-water-a-victory-for-the-scottish-people-v-the-uk-government
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Ken “wtf is that” is correct, there was an industry arm to SW before it even became SW, but it’s control is considerably stricter than that which has long been exercised in England.
However, there are some lurking heroes here who fought tooth and claw to prevent outright privatisation in Scotland who deserve named on a public plaque – Without their efforts I fear Scotland would have suffered the same fate as England with “I see no shits” Ministers from 2012 onward – Owen Paterson, Liz Truss, Andrea Leadson, Michael Gove, seriously, read it and weep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_Environment,_Food_and_Rural_Affairs
There is no legitimate Scotland v England comparative – There are NO political strings to pull in Scotland, it’s an altogether healthier environment and totally different political culture….
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R.M Ellen only appears via SEPA for the disgraceful release of sewage via his cravan site, it’s a PDF document.
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Bluntly the pollution issues in England’s waterways are result of political chicanery – Although those tasked with monitoring, testing and enforcement were frequently cited as independent, they were in reality controlled by HMG and subject to the whims of Minsters – In short, when you control their funding, they can be ‘leaned on’ to behave in a particular way, and nobody wanted ‘leaned on’ by Therese Coffey.
No such issues of political interference for SEPA – Having built strong relationships with the farming community, Scottish Water, etc., it is very rare for enforcement action having to be taken – Most they engage with quite simply comply after a quiet word – England can only dream of such an arrangement…
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These christian companies are purposely poisoning everything.
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