Environment Agency increases enforcement team

The Environment Agency has increased its water enforcement workforce to strengthen its enforcement capability as part of a drive to build a tougher regulatory culture and tackle water pollution.

The water enforcement workforce has increased from 41 roles in 2023 to 195 by March 2026, with further grown planned for later this year.

It is hoped the regulator will now be able to deliver swifter, tougher action against environmental harm - deterring illegal activity, and focusing efforts on achieving a cleaner water environment.

The role of enforcement officers is to investigate water companies for breaches of environmental law.

8,000 of the 10,000 planned water company inspections for the 2025/26 financial year are now complete, resulting in over 4,700 individual improvement actions for water companies, including repairing sewage works and upgrading infrastructure.

The Environment Agency’s Director for Water, Helen Wakeham, said: "With more specialists and enforcement teams on the ground, the Environment Agency has more resources than ever to protect our waterways from pollution.

"Our teams will use a wide range of actions to hold water companies to account — from formal notices to civil penalties and prosecution.

"Enforcement is only one tool in our compliance toolbox. Our goal is to identify and address the root causes of pollution and work with water companies to prevent it from occurring in the first place."

Water Minister Emma Hardy said: "These extra officers and inspectors, hired under this government, are already out on the ground carrying out thousands of checks on water companies, helping to protect our rivers, lakes and seas and restore public confidence in the system.

"This workforce will be integral in holding water companies to account, and delivering strengthened enforcement powers including new, automatic and tougher penalties for water companies."