Water company bonuses rise to £9.1m despite sewage scandal

MP for Epsom & Ewell Helen Maguire has called for an immediate ban on water company bonuses

Using an analysis of Companies House records, the party’s annual Sewage Bonus Tracker found that water firms, including Thames Water, increased their bonus pool to £9.1m for executives despite polluting our rivers and streams with raw sewage.

These new findings come despite 2023 being a record year for sewage dumping into our waterways. Environment Agency data reveal that more than 3.6 million hours of sewage flowed into our rivers and seas.

Thames Water’s executive bonus payouts almost doubled year-on-year, from £746,000 in 2022/23 to a staggering £1.3m in 2023/35.

Pension contributions for water company executives rose to a new high of £1.7m this year. Thames Water paid their executives £754,000 in pension contributions alone last year.

The Liberal Democrats have called for an immediate ban on all water company bonuses while the sewage scandal continues. The party will push for a Parliamentary vote for an outright ban on bonuses by tabling an amendment to the government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill.

Epsom & Ewell MP, Helen Maguire, said:

“It is an absolute disgrace that big bosses at Thames Water and other water companies take home ridiculous sums of money while our own River Mole and Hogsmill, and may other rivers, lakes and streams, continue to be polluted with fragile ecosystems put at risk. It is high time these bonuses get spent clearing up the mess they have made.”