Water firm fines fund native restoration initiatives

Over £10 million in water firm fines has been channelled into cleanup initiatives to restore the injury accomplished by sewage– immediately benefitting communities and the setting which have been harmed by rule breaking.  

Through the Water Restoration Fund, cash from fines handed to 5 water corporations will fund 51 initiatives throughout England, from energetic measures similar to rewilding and restoring floodplains to funding for assessments of water high quality and growth of enchancment plans.  

Anglian Water, South West Water, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and United Utilities had been pressured to pay hundreds of thousands after inflicting air pollution incidents between April 2022 and October 2023.   

From restoring riverbeds in Exmoor National Park to tackling septic tank spills into Windermere, these initiatives will restore treasured habitats, enhance flood resilience and allow native wildlife to thrive.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds stated:

I share individuals’s anger on the injury brought on by sewage air pollution and wish communities to as soon as once more really feel they’ll take satisfaction of their setting. 

This cash from water firm fines shall be directed again into native initiatives to sort out air pollution and help long-term plans for nature restoration. 

Under our Plan for Change we’re resetting the water trade – holding water corporations to account and reinvesting in areas harmed by their rule breaking.

Projects, which span the size and breadth of the nation, embrace a £1.2 million floodplain and river restoration undertaking on the River Witham in Lincolnshire, in addition to river restoration, nutrient seize and wetland creation within the Evenlode catchment in Oxfordshire. 

The Water Restoration Fund delivers on the federal government’s Plan for Change – empowering communities to take a position cash raised from water firm wrongdoing again into the setting. 

The Government is dedicated to restoring our waterways to good well being and can proceed to direct water firm fines and penalties into initiatives to scrub up our rivers, lakes and seas. With elevated accountability, report funding to repair damaged pipes, and a brand new highly effective regulator chargeable for your complete sector that can stand firmly on the aspect of shoppers and the setting.

Projects and funding distributions:

Thames space (£3,318,392.84)

• Coate Water Site of Special Scientific Interest Restoration Project (£83,306) 

• Restoring the River Ching (£175,729.13) 

• Citizen Crane, Catchment Scale Restoration of an Urban River (£133,755) 

• The Wandering Wandle (£161,217.18) 

• Emm Brook Restoration Project (£743,146.64) 

• Ilford Arrival, Restoring the Lower Roding (£113,415) 

• Improving the Evenlode Catchment (£780,780) 

• Rye to Good Phase 3 (£100,236) 

• The Keston Ponds Project (£248,853) 

• Colne Catchment (£143,737.89) 

• Rediscovering the River Colne (£198,807) 

• Ealing Regional Park River Restoration Plan (£250,000) 

• River Windrush and Sherborne Brook Catchment Improvement Project (£102,822) 

• Roundmoor and Boveney Chalk Stream Restoration Project (£82,588) 

East England (£3,036,664)

• Upper Witham River and Floodplain Restoration Project (£1,185,957) 

• Great Ouse Blue Connections (£85,674) 

• Recovering the Deben (£248,274.32) 

• Slade Brook Natural Flood Management Project (£187,782) 

• A Collaborative Restoration Plan for the Cam (£179,602.54) 

• Welland Headwaters Nature-based Solutions (£107,053) 

• 20-year Strategy for restoration of river & floodplain habitats within the rivers Nene, Ise and Tove (£165,976.57) 

• Broadland Catchment Partnership Development Plan (£205,376.49) 

• Stanwick Lakes Hydrological Survey (£118,272) 

• Panford and Blackwater Catchment Regeneration Project (£552,696.08) 

South West (£1,849,513.04)

• Heddon Valley (£162,694) 

• Otter Catchment- Source to Sea (£75,000) 

• Upper Barle River Restoration Project (£147,496) 

• Teign and Taw Fisheries Management (£664,286.50) 

• Arlington Lake, Fish Opening and Habitat Enhancement (£80,558.68) 

• Water Wise Farming (£81,105) 

• Restoration of the River Mere Catchment (£202,267.24) 

• Washfield Wetland (£202,609) 

• Improving the West Looe River Water Body (£95,394.34) 

• Catchment Planning – Avon, Gara & Slapton Ley, and Kingsbridge Salcombe Estuary (£138,102.28) 

Yorkshire (£1,533,722.28)

• Dewsbury Country Park (£76,570.85) 

• Ashfoldside Metal Mines Project (£81,730) 

• Solutions for the Swale, Ure, Nidd, Ouse, Foss, Wiske, & Wharfe (£75,236) 

• Water within the Wharfe (£249,445) 

• Foss & Esk River Restoration Improvement Studies (£130,060) 

• Derwent Site of Special Scientific Interest Project (£79,054.44) 

• Swaledale and Wensleydale Environmental Farmers (£222,960) 

• Connecting Limbs (£225,817) 

• Upper and Lower Staveley Weirs (£75,039.99) 

• Pickhill Beck (£93,473) 

• Feasibility Study for Doe Lea Catchment (£75,045) 

• Hornsea Mere Restoration (£149,291) 

North West (£758,161.50)

• Stalybridge Restoration Planning (£97,055.50) 

• River Tame Barriers Modification Feasibility Study (£247,500) 

• Lakes Biosecurity Priority Area Project (£140,320) 

• River Cocker Catchment Restoration (£150,182) 

• Windermere STEP (Septic Tank Engagement Programme) (£123,104)