Six British water companies are currently embroiled in lawsuits with claims exceeding 800 million pounds ($1 billion), representing millions of customers. The lawsuits, brought forward by a
legal firm, allege that the companies have overcharged customers due to purportedly under-reporting sewage discharges.
Environmental and water consultant Carolyn Roberts, who is leading these claims, asserts that the water companies would have faced penalties had they accurately reported pollution incidents.
Roberts maintains that the alleged failure to report pollution incidents by the companies has resulted in unjustified overcharges for customers.
A 330 million-pound case targeting Severn Trent has been submitted to London's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), as per a statement from law firm Leigh Day.
The legal firm further disclosed its intentions to initiate legal proceedings against five other entities—Thames Water, United Utilities, Anglian Water, Yorkshire Water, and Northumbrian Water—in the upcoming months.
These lawsuits emerge amidst a surge of public backlash over the discharge of untreated sewage and the compromised condition of rivers and beaches, marking the most substantial outcry since the privatization of the water industry in 1989.
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The water companies have pushed back against the projected claims, characterizing them as "highly speculative."
A spokesperson from Severn Trent affirmed that any pollution incidents have been reported to the UK's Environment Agency and disputed any contrary claims as "wholly and completely inaccurate."
Thames Water acknowledged awareness of the potential claim, asserting its lack of merit.
A representative from industry body Water UK stated, "This speculative claim lacks merit."
"The regulator has verified that over 99% of sewage facilities adhere to their legal obligations. If companies fail to fulfill their commitments, customer bills are already adjusted accordingly."
Yorkshire Water refrained from commenting on the ongoing legal proceedings. Anglian Water referred to Water UK's statement, while Northumbrian Water did not provide a response to the inquiry.
The legal cases are being pursued through collective proceedings—roughly equivalent to class actions in the United States—led by environmental consultant Roberts.
Roberts contends that water companies have escaped penalties from regulator Ofwat for "repeated and significant under-reporting" of pollution incidents, as stated in her announcement. She adds that this lack of accountability has resulted in customers being unjustly overcharged for sewage services. Photo by Ian Capper, Wikimedia commons.