Following public pressure, the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 has significantly toughened the law for water companies:

Mandatory Pollution Plans: As of April 2026, water companies must publish annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans (PIRPs). Failure to do so is now a criminal offence for companies and their executives. Special Measures: The Act enables the government to put failing companies under special measures, including blocking bonuses and imposing severe, automatic fines.

Water Quality Objectives

UK companies wishing to discharge effluent—defined as any liquid waste produced during commercial or industrial processes—must obtain legal permission before beginning any discharge.
The requirements differ depending on whether the waste is sent to a public sewer (Trade Effluent Consent) or directly to the environment (Environmental Permit)
.