Several wildlife trusts across the country have received millions in enforcement undertakings from water companies over the past two years, according to recently published figures from the Environment Agency (EA).
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust received around £2.5m from Severn Trent Water following three separate environmental offences between 2021 and 2022, with the enforcement undertakings being accepted between 2025 and 2026.
The payouts were agreed after three separate instances of the company failing to comply with permit conditions concerning “water discharge activity”.
The largest of the three donations totalled £1.5m, and related specifically to two unauthorised sewage discharges from Blackminster Wastewater Treatment Works in Worcestershire into Broadway Brook on 12 June 2022 and 20 August 2022.
The regulator described it as a “reactive offer” and noted that the enforcement undertaking was accepted on 12 February this year.
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “Our focus is always on preventing pollutions before they happen, but when things do go wrong, we act quickly, take ownership and put things right.
“This funding supports organisations like the wildlife trust to make a difference, while we continue to invest billions in our network to build resilience for the long term.”
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has been approached for comment.
Several other water companies also forced to pay sizeable fines
Meanwhile, Thames Water agreed to donate £1m to London Wildlife Trust in 2024 related to two incidents, the EA reported.
The incidents were the removal of ash waste from two sludge powered generators at Beckton and Crossness Sewage Treatment Works in London and its unauthorised disposal at a non-hazardous waste landfill site in Essex between 1 January 2014 and 30 April 2016.
Yorkshire Water paid a total of around £2.3m in donations between 2024 and 2025 to various nature and conservation charities in the region following several separate offences, primarily relating to failures to comply with permit conditions.
