Environmental crime and pollution prosecutions in the UK are escalating sharply. The Environment Agency (EA) — the primary regulator for environmental offending in England — has significantly intensified enforcement in recent years, particularly against water companies and waste sector operators. Between January 2015 and August 2025, the EA completed 67 prosecutions of water companies securing fines exceeding £153 million. Waste crime alone costs the UK economy over £600 million per year. And from October 2025, new automatic civil penalties give the EA faster enforcement tools for a wider range of offences.

Key facts & figures

  • 67 water company prosecutions (Jan 2015–Aug 2025) yielding fines exceeding £153 million
  • £3,527,000 total fines in 2024/25 across 6 prosecutions against 4 water companies (range: £25,000–£2,072,000)
  • £600 million annually: waste crime cost to the UK economy
  • £4,193,780 in enforcement undertakings accepted from 3 water companies in 2024/25
  • £15 million+ directed to environmental projects via enforcement undertakings over 5 years
  • 10,000 inspections: the EA target for 2025/26
  • £320,000 in fines plus 37 custodial sentences from waste sector prosecutions in 2024
  • £147,575+ average fine in 2017/18, up from £23,731 in 2013/14
  • 80+ new enforcement roles created following the enforcement levy
  • £350,000–£500,000 caps on new automatic civil penalties for water companies (October 2025)

Water company enforcement

Water companies have become the central focus of the Environment Agency's enforcement effort, accounting for the largest fines and the most significant policy changes. The headline figures show both the scale of historic offending and the pace at which the regulator is now acting.

  • Between January 2015 and August 2025: 67 prosecutions of water companies securing fines of over £153 million
  • In 2024/25: 6 prosecutions against 4 different water companies; total fines £3,527,000; fine range: £25,000 to £2,072,000
  • 5 of the 6 prosecutions resulted from pollution incidents or permit breaches affecting water quality
  • EA accepted 10 enforcement undertaking offers from 3 water companies in 2024/25 totalling £4,193,780
  • Over the past 5 years: over £15 million directed towards environmental projects via enforcement undertakings from water companies
  • In 2024/25, the EA exceeded its target of 4,000 inspections; on track to deliver 10,000 inspections in 2025/26
  • Thames Water rated as the only "1 star" (poor performing) water company in the 2024 Environmental Performance Assessment
  • 7 companies rated as "requiring improvement" (2 stars)
  • Only Severn Trent Water achieved 4 stars (industry-leading)
  • October 2025: the Government announced new automatic civil penalties for water companies capped at £350,000 or £500,000
  • Persons obstructing Environment Agency investigations now face up to 2 years in prison
  • New enforcement levy: the EA will recover £12.6 million in costs in 2025/26 (rising to £20.9 million thereafter)

Waste sector enforcement

Alongside water, the waste sector is the other major front in environmental enforcement. Waste crime — from illegal dumping and unlicensed operators to large-scale organised offending — imposes a substantial economic cost and increasingly attracts custodial sentences as well as fines. For a wider picture of illegal waste activity, see our guide to fly-tipping statistics in the UK.

  • Prosecution cases against the waste sector in 2024 led to total fines of approximately £320,000 and 37 custodial sentences
  • Waste crime costs the UK economy over £600 million per year
  • New waste crime powers include aerial surveillance mapping, vehicle seizure powers, and enhanced site licensing requirements

The long-term trend is one of steadily increasing severity. A landmark change to sentencing in 2014 transformed the financial consequences of environmental offending for companies, and the EA has continued to expand its enforcement capacity since.

  • The Sentencing Council's Definitive Guideline for Environmental Offences (July 2014) dramatically increased sentencing severity
  • The average fine per EA prosecution against companies rose from £23,731 (2013/14) to over £147,575 (2017/18)
  • The EA reserves criminal prosecution for the most serious offences; it uses civil sanctions and enforcement undertakings for less serious matters
  • Over 80 new enforcement roles created following the enforcement levy

Environmental crime in the UK is governed by a complex framework of legislation, administered primarily by the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland, and NIEA in Northern Ireland. Key legislation includes:

  • Environmental Protection Act 1990: The primary statute for waste management and contaminated land, including the duty of care for waste and offences of unlawful deposit, treatment, keeping, or disposal of waste.
  • Water Resources Act 1991: Governs water pollution offences — including causing or knowingly permitting the entry of poisonous, noxious, or polluting matter into controlled waters. This is the statute most commonly used to prosecute water companies.
  • Environment Act 1995: Established the Environment Agency and its enforcement powers, including Variable Monetary Penalties (unlimited fines against companies where offending is proved to the criminal standard).
  • Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016: Require operators of regulated facilities (waste sites, water discharges, industrial installations) to hold and comply with environmental permits. Operating without a permit or in breach of permit conditions is a criminal offence.
  • Environment Act 2021: Introduced new civil sanction powers and established the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) as an independent body to scrutinise environmental law application and enforcement. The 2021 Act also gives the EA new powers to impose automatic penalties for specific breaches.

Understanding where these duties sit is the first step for any organisation that wants to stay compliant. Our Environmental Awareness Training course covers this legal framework, including the Environmental Protection Act 1990, in plain English for UK workplaces.

Enforcement undertakings

An enforcement undertaking is a voluntary agreement — offered by an offender and accepted by the EA — which becomes legally binding. It is used for less serious offending where prosecution would be disproportionate. The undertaking requires the offender to:

  • Restore the environment or compensate for harm caused
  • Put in place measures to prevent recurrence
  • Fund environmental improvement projects in the local catchment or community

The Yorkshire Water enforcement undertaking in November 2023 — £1 million to charities after polluting Hookstone Beck in Harrogate, plus a £1.85 million sewer network upgrade — was the largest the EA had ever accepted at the time. This model allows the EA to secure significantly more environmental restoration value than a fine, while reducing the court resource burden.

Sources & references

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Mark McShane
Mark McShane
Health & Safety Training Specialist, Online CPD Academy

Mark writes about workplace compliance, environmental regulation and accredited online training for Online CPD Academy, drawing on the latest UK enforcement data and legislation.