Water firm to pay £40m over ‘serious failures’ – BBC News
‘Yorkshire Water has been ordered to pay £40m to address its “serious failures” over wastewater and sewage.’
BBC News, 20th March 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: water
National Farmers’ Union fails in legal challenge over lawfulness of policy in minerals and waste local plan – Local Government Lawyer
‘Herefordshire Council acted lawfully when it used planning policy to try to control agricultural waste, the High Court has found.’
Local Government Lawyer, 13th March 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Mass competition claims against water companies fall – OUT-LAW.com
‘Mass claims brought against six water and wastewater companies, alleging that the companies had breached competition law by misleadingly under-reporting the number of pollution incidents (PIs) they had incurred, will not be heard by the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), it has confirmed.’
OUT-LAW.com, 12th March 2025
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
New duties and liabilities attach to water companies as industry review progresses – OUT-LAW.com
‘Water companies in England and Wales face new duties to reduce pollution incidents and be transparent about their discharges from emergency overflows, under new legislation that has received Royal Assent.’
OUT-LAW.com, 28th February 2025
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
New Acts – legislation.gov.uk
2025 c. 5 – Water (Special Measures) Act 2025
2025 c. 4 – Arbitration Act 2025
Legislation.gov.uk, 24th February 2025
Source: www.legislation.gov.uk
Thames Water £3bn loan deal did not breach competition law, High Court rules – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Thames Water £3bn loan deal did not breach competition law, High Court rules,’
Law Society's Gazette, 18th February 2025
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Thames Water seeks court approval for emergency cash – BBC News
‘Thames Water will seek approval for an emergency cash lifeline in court on Monday as it faces running out of money in four weeks’ time.’
BBC News, 3rd February 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Government to appeal river pollution ruling – Local Government Lawyer
‘Environment Secretary Steve Reed has appealed against a judicial review decision reached last year when Pickering Fishery Association successfully argued that the Environment Agency had failed in its legal duties to protect a former trout stream damaged by sewage pollution and runoff from fish farms.’
Local Government Lawyer, 15th January 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Ministers to appeal against river pollution ruling won by Yorkshire anglers – The Guardian
‘The UK environment secretary, Steve Reed, is pursuing legal action against a group of anglers who are trying to restore the ecosystem of a river.’
The Guardian, 14th January 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
Watchdog warns Defra and Ofwat they could face court over sewage dumping – The Guardian
‘The government, its water regulator and the Environment Agency could all be taken to court over their failure to tackle sewage dumping in England after a watchdog found failures to comply with the law.’
The Guardian 17th December 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
English water system singled out for criticism by UN special rapporteur – The Guardian
‘The privatised English water system has been singled out for criticism by the UN special rapporteur on the human right to clean water.’
The Guardian, 9th October 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Chicken farm row reaches High Court – BBC News
‘Campaigners will be taking on Shropshire Council in the High Court as a seven-year dispute over an industrial-scale chicken farm continues.’
BBC News, 3rd october 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Planned water law reform ‘risks delaying environmental action’ – OUT-LAW.com
‘Proposed new legislation described by government as delivering a “significant increase in enforcement powers” against water companies, could delay rather than speed up industry action to address environmental concerns because of the broad way it has been drafted, water industry experts have warned.’
OUT-LAW.com, 6th September 2024
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
Water bosses could be jailed if they cover up sewage dumping under new law – The Guardian
‘Water bosses in England and Wales could be jailed for up to two years if they cover up sewage dumping, under legislation proposed by the Labour government.’
The Guardian, 4th September 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Three water firms face record total £168m fine after sewage investigation – The Guardian
‘Thames, Yorkshire and Northumbrian Water will be fined a record £168m between them for a “catalogue of failure” over illegal sewage discharges into rivers and the sea after the industry regulator’s biggest ever investigation.’
The Guardian, 6th August 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Juror swears oath on river in legal first – BBC News
‘Paul Powlesland was not far off quoting Shakespeare when he became probably the first juror in history to swear a legal oath on a river.’
BBC News, 2nd August 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Opening the Sewer-Gates: An Exploration of the Supreme Court’s Decision in Manchester Ship Canal Company Ltd v United Utilities Water Ltd (No. 2) [2024] UKSC 22 – Francis Taylor Building
‘Winston Churchill once remarked that “[for] my own part, I see little glory in an Empire which can rule the waves and is unable to flush its sewers”. Had he been alive today, he may have lamented that modern Britain now does neither.’
Francis Taylor Building, 18th July 2024
Source: www.ftbchambers.co.uk
Alerter by Jack Castle – Manchester Ship Canal (No.2) and Group Litigation – Henderson Chambers
‘The Supreme Court in Manchester Ship Canal (No.2) [2024] UKSC 22 has decided that a riparian owner will have a right of action in private nuisance against a water company for discharge of foul water, without needing to show the water company’s negligence or deliberate misconduct. This is a substantial clarification of Marcic v Thames Water Utilities Ltd [2003] UKHL 66, which (it was thought) decided that such claims were barred against sewerage undertakers by the existence of the statutory scheme following privatisation. This decision may mark the beginning of group litigation against sewerage undertakers for discharging untreated sewage into rivers and canals.’
Henderson Chambers, 12th July 2024
Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk
Case Summary (Property): The Manchester Ship Canal Company Ltd v United Utilities Water Ltd No 2 [2024] UKSC 22 – Lamb Chambers
‘Absent negligence or deliberate misconduct, can owners of watercourses or bodies of water bring actions for nuisance or trespass where water is polluted from statutory sewerage undertakers?’
Lamb Chambers, July 2024
Source: www.lambchambers.co.uk
High Court rules for first time on water neutrality – Local Government Lawyer
‘The High Court has dismissed the first challenge to an Inspector’s decision which refused planning permission for a development on grounds of water neutrality. Matt Lewin explains why.’
Local Government Lawyer, 17th July 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
