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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Sandra Laville Environment correspondent

Environment Agency failing to monitor water firms in England, data suggests

EA SPORTS Environment FOI England Ashley Smith James Bevan the Environment Agency Southern Water South West Water United Utilities
A sluice to allow sewage and waste water to flow into the sea at Whitstable, Kent.
Audits on Southern Water, fined £90m in 2021 for dumping billions of litres of raw sewage into the sea, do not appear to have taken place since 2013. Photograph: Sophia Evans/The Observer

The Environment Agency is failing to regularly audit water companies to check they are telling the truth about pollution and illegal sewage dumping in England, the Guardian can reveal.

The audits contribute to the star rating companies are given for environmental performance by the watchdog. Some companies are being given top ratings, even though the FoI data suggests the EA has not audited them for several years.

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