EA reports fivefold increase in its water enforcement team

(by Verity Mitchell)

The Environment Agency (EA) has reported that it has increased its water enforcement workforce almost fivefold — from 41 roles in 2023 to 195 by March 2026, with a further increase planned later in 2026.

The watchdog added that it has already delivered over 8,000 of the 10,000 water company inspections planned for the 2025/26 financial year, resulting in over 4,700 individual improvement actions for water companies, including repairing sewage works and upgrading infrastructure. Enforcement last year resulted in over £6.9m in enforcement undertakings being paid by water companies. The EA reported a 4% decrease in permit breaches this year following persistent underperformance across the sector.

The workforce expansion is being backed by the largest budget for water enforcement and compliance ever — £153m has been allocated this financial year. This includes funding through the introduction of a strengthened “polluter pays” approach, with water companies now covering the costs of enforcement, including investigations.