NEARLY 100 criminal investigations were launched into water firms last year, but campaigners warn the government that “far more must be done” to tackle pollution in English and Welsh waters.

Private water firms were hit with 96 criminal probes since April 2025 for alleged “serious breaches” such as illegal sewage leaks or poor facility maintenance, the Environmental Agency (EA) said today.

The regulator said water providers could be slapped with multimillion-pound fines and be forced to perform remedial works.

River Action chief executive James Wallace welcomed the investigations but it would not be enough in the face of water companies discharging 1.8 million hours of sewage in 2025 alone.

He told the Star: “We welcome the government’s investigations, but with so much sewage still being poured into our waterways, far more must be done to hold polluters to account.

“Investigations must lead to prosecutions, and those prosecutions must result in meaningful penalties delivered swiftly.

“Too often, cases take four to five years to reach the courts, undermining any real deterrent and allowing polluters to carry on regardless.

“In 2025, water companies in England and Wales discharged more than 1.8 million hours of sewage into our rivers, seas and lakes.

“Meanwhile, most of England’s 35 inland bathing sites are now rated unsafe for swimming, despite years of concern about chronic pollution.”

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said last year marked a record-breaking increase in investigations, showing that water firms had “nowhere to hide.”

The EA previously said it performed 10,000 inspections of water treatment facilities last year and flagged 3,000 breaches which required action by water companies.

Its executive director John Leyland claimed that “water compliance with the law is the foundation for clean and plentiful water,” despite criticism from those demanding the end of privatised water services.

The River Trust highlighted the importance of the upcoming Water Reform Bill, which it called “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset the system.

“The government must take back control of water company ownership and ensure bill payers’ money is used to clean up our rivers, not line investor pockets.”

We Own It lead campaigner Sophie Conquest told the Star: “Criminal probes are a distraction from the fundamental problem that lies at the heart of our water industry: privatisation.

“Regulation of water has been an abysmal failure. Water bosses have successfully dodged bonus bans, while pollution levels have soared.”