Wessex Water has been ordered to pay £11m by Ofwat over failures in its wastewater network.

The water regulator stated that Wessex Water and its shareholders will fund the total enforcement package, none of which will be paid for by customers or added to bills.

An investigation into Wessex Water found that the company had failed to operate, maintain and upgrade its wastewater network adequately to ensure it could cope with the flows of sewage and wastewater.

The latest action by Ofwat marks the sixth case in the regulator’s largest and most complex set of investigations into all UK water companies and their management of their wastewater treatment works and networks.

Wessex Water follows the conclusion of cases against Yorkshire Water, Thames Water, Northumbrian Water, Anglian Water and South West Water earlier this year, which to date have resulted in enforcement action worth more than £240m.

Senior director for enforcement at Ofwat, Lynn Parker, said: “Our investigation has found that Wessex Water failed to effectively operate, maintain and upgrade its wastewater assets, which meant there were spills from storm overflows when there shouldn’t have been.

“To their credit, the company has been one of the more proactive in investigating and rectifying the problems identified. However, there remain breaches which must be accounted for and corrected.”

Wessex Water has invested more than £150m since 2020 on upgrading storm overflows in its region and already has plans in place running until 2030 to address compliance issues that Ofwat has identified at its wastewater treatment works and network.

However, the regulator suggested there are still further measures that Wessex Water needs to take to ensure the company is fully compliant.

“We understand that the public wants to see transformative change,” Parker added. “That is why we are prioritising this sector-wide investigation which has so far held five wastewater companies to account to the tune of £240m in enforcement redress, benefitting the local environment and the customers those companies serve.”

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