Yorkshire Water fines will be spent improving waterways

The "Water Restoration Fund" will offer grants to local groups, charities, farmers and landowners to improve rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and access to nature in England in areas where illegal pollution has occurred.

Across the country, £11 million in fines has been charged to water companies. Yorkshire Water has paid up £1,600,750.

The fines and penalties were levied on water companies for environmental breaches, such as dumping sewage from treatment plants, which have been ringfenced for improving the water environment since April 2022.

As The Press have previously reported, Yorkshire Water spent over 17,000 hours in 2023 discharging sewage into the River Ouse, within the York outer ring road area.

Yorkshire Water attributed this increase to "the wet weather experienced in the 12-month period, which included 11 named storms". It added that the company was "committed to improving our region’s rivers".

Where will the money go?

Initiatives that could gain grants could include creating wetlands, boosting wildlife and river habitat, and improving public access to blue and green spaces.

The fines are in addition to any reparations to restore the natural environment that water companies make when they are found to have broken the rules.

Environment Secretary, Steve Barclay said: "I know how important our precious waterways are to local communities and to nature, which is why we’re taking tough action to ensure our regulators are well-equipped to hold those who pollute them to account.

"Through the Water Restoration Fund, I will be making sure that money from fines and penalties – taken from water company profits only – is channelled directly back into our waterways.

"Community-led projects are vital to improving and maintaining water quality across the country, and this fund will help build on that success.”

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Marian Spain, chief executive of Government nature agency Natural England, welcomed the creation of the fund.

She said: "The fund is great opportunity for landowners, communities and nature bodies to help make a real difference to the condition of our Sites of Special Scientific Interest and to restore natural processes in catchments to provide the nature and health benefits that society needs from water."

Applicants have eight weeks to apply for the grant funding and awards are expected to be issued from late July.

Other measures the Government has taken include plans to ban bonuses for water company executives where firms have committed serious criminal breaches, and boosting the Environment Agency’s capacity to carry out more inspections.