The recent announcement of £168 million in sewage pollution fines issued to three water companies has renewed hope that the regulator for England and Wales, Ofwat, is finally taking action in line with public opinion.
In reality, though, this looks more like a tokenistic gesture in a frustrating sisyphean scenario – one we have experienced before in the form of past multi-million pound fines, and one I suspect we will continue to relive, and regret, over and over unless new approaches and collaborative efforts are made.
