Water Only Companies in England: Environmental Performance Report 2025
- Serious incidents fell from four to one.
- Total pollution incidents increased from 110 to 160.
- Self-reporting increased to 87%.
- 56% of environmental improvement requirements were completed on time.
What is this report?
This is the first published Environment Agency publication dedicated to assessing the environmental performance of water only companies in England. It provides greater transparency about performance across this part of the industry.
What does it cover?
The report assesses performance across a range of environmental measures, including pollution incidents, self-reporting performance and delivery of environmental improvement requirements on time. The assessment draws on environmental data, inspections, company submissions and wider regulatory evidence.
Headline performance
Water only company performance in 2025 was mixed and further improvement is required. The conditions are in place for progress, but that progress must be visible.
Key facts
How have water only companies performed?
Environment Agency environmental performance report results 2025 for water only companies
| Metric and units | Total pollution incidents (water supply) – number of category 1 to 3 incidents | Serious pollution incidents (water supply) – number of category 1 and 2 incidents | Self-reporting of pollution incidents (water supply) – percentage | Delivery of the WINEP – percentage of plan delivered on time |
| Affinity Water | 39 | 0 | 97% | 100% |
| Bristol Water | 31 | 1 | 87% | N/A 2 |
| Essex & Suffolk Water | 14 | 0 | 93% | 66.7% |
| Portsmouth Water | 2 | 0 | 100% | N/A 2 |
| SES Water | 10 | 0 | 80% | 12.5% |
| South East Water | 57 | 0 | 86% | 62.5% |
| South Staffordshire Water 1 | 7 | 0 | 29% | 100% |
| Total | 160 | 1 | 87% | 56% |
1 - South Staffordshire Water including Cambridge Water
2 - Water-Only companies with no planned environmental improvement schemes for the financial year ending 31 March 2026 are shown as ‘N/A’
What happens next?
The Environment Agency will continue to use monitoring, inspections, intelligence and environmental data to identify poor performance, secure improvements and hold companies to account where standards are not met.
Water only companies must improve their performance and deliver the investment needed to strengthen resilience and environmental outcomes.
By making water only company performance more transparent, we can support better decisions and help the public, government and regulators see where companies are meeting expectations and where they need to improve.