The Environment Agency is ramping up its sewage treatment inspections in the East of England as more officers are brought on board.

The first environment officers specifically focused on water company regulation have started work in the region.  

By the end of the year the Environment Agency says it is aiming to have 30 new officers in post covering the region from the Humber to the Thames.

In July, Environment Agency published its annual report on the environmental performance of England’s nine water and sewerage companies during 2023. 

(Image: Environment Agency)

Anglian Water - which operates in the East - was given a two-star "improvement required" rating in its Environmental Performance Assessment (EPA) - the same as for 2021 and 2022.

It was one of five water companies which didn't make the grade.

The Environment Agency uses the EPA to rate each company in England from one to four stars.

The report cited 40 pollution incidents from sewerage assets per 10,000km (or 307 actual incidents) - including 11 serious incidents.

The ramped up regional workforce is part of efforts to increase inspections and strengthen regulation and enforcement of water companies.

The government's Water Industry Regulation Transformation programme aims to recruit up to 500 new and experienced staff across the country with the aim of increasing water company inspections to 4,000 by the end of March 2025,10,000 in 2025/6 and 11,500 in 2026/27.  

The Environment Agency says it is already conducting the largest ever criminal investigation into potential widespread non-compliance by water and sewerage companies at thousands of sewage treatment works.

Since 2015, it has concluded 63 prosecutions against water and sewerage companies and secured fines of more than £151m.

Regulation manager for the East Marcus Sibley said: “We share the public’s frustration about the levels of sewage in our waterways.

"Water company performance is not good enough and we are committed to crack down on non-compliance."

More boots on the ground was a "significant part" of how the agency enhancing its regulation of the water sector, he said.

"Nationally, over the next three years, we’re spending £15.8m on improving water company enforcement and investing around £15m on enhancing our digital systems and tools to help identify the cause of issues, not just the symptom.  

“Taking this action will allow us to bring about a change in performance from the water industry that we all want to see.”

In recent months, "robust steps" taken include monitoring all 15,000 storm overflows and the removal of a cap on civil penalties for pollution, said the EA.