SEVERN TRENT WATER is to avoid a fine despite breaching regulations on wastewater and sewage, after regulator Ofwat credited the company with taking “genuine accountability” to fix the problems.

Ofwat has been investigating how wastewater and sewage networks are managed across the privatised water industry.

It said today that Severn Trent, which supplies more than eight million people across England and Wales, breached its duties by failing to effectively provide drainage and deal with the contents of its sewers, and lacked adequate systems to monitor and maintain its network.

Severn Trent is the eighth company dealt with in Ofwat’s industry-wide investigation, which has produced fines and enforcement packages worth more than £300 million, including a £104.5m penalty for Thames Water.

Unlike the previous seven cases, Ofwat said, Severn Trent identified problems in its own network and began addressing them before the regulator opened its case in July 2024.

The company has since invested £98m of shareholder funds into its infrastructure, helping cut spills from each storm overflow by 41 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024, despite heavier rainfall than some other regions.

Ofwat’s Lynn Parker said: “Our investigation found serious and unacceptable breaches by Severn Trent Water — that is not in question and the company accepts it.

“The 41 per cent reduction in spills we are now seeing is what genuine accountability looks like in practice.”

Severn Trent chief executive James Jesic said the company remained “absolutely focused on delivering further improvements for our customers and the environment.”

Two cases in Ofwat’s wider investigation remain open.