A Guardian investigation reveals that UK water companies made more than £340m in revenue last year by processing industrial and commercial wastewater at sewage works that experts say are not designed to remove most chemicals.
Key facts
- UK water companies made more than £340m in revenue last year from processing industrial and commercial wastewater, according to the Guardian.
- Billions of litres of wastewater were poured into sewage treatment works that experts say cannot remove most chemicals.
- Water companies are legally required to take industrial wastewater and issue permits called 'trade-effluent consents'.
- Pollutants are left to pass into rivers, seas and farmland, the investigation found.
- Water companies can refuse applications for trade-effluent consents.
Water companies in the UK made more than £340m in revenue last year by processing industrial and commercial wastewater at sewage treatment works, according to an exclusive investigation by the Guardian. The report found that billions of litres of this wastewater were poured into plants that experts say are not designed to remove most chemical pollutants.
According to the Guardian, the result is that pollutants are left to pass into rivers, seas and farmland. The investigation describes the arrangement as a ‘black box’ trade that rakes in millions for the utility companies involved.
Under current rules, water companies are required by law to take industrial wastewater. They do so by issuing permits known as ‘trade-effluent consents’, which allow businesses to send their wastewater to sewage works. The Guardian notes that water companies retain the ability to refuse applications.
The central concern raised in the investigation is a mismatch between what the treatment works are capable of and the material they are processing. Experts cited by the Guardian say sewage treatment works are not designed to remove most chemicals, meaning the wastewater passes through the system with many pollutants intact.
The scale of the revenue — more than £340m in a single year — underscores how significant the industrial and commercial wastewater trade has become for UK utility companies, even as questions persist about the environmental consequences for waterways and farmland.
Why it matters
The investigation raises questions about whether sewage treatment infrastructure is capable of handling the industrial wastewater it is paid to process, with pollutants potentially reaching rivers, seas and farmland. For a public already concerned about water quality, it highlights a financial incentive for water companies that may sit uneasily alongside environmental protection.
Frequently asked questions
How much did UK water companies make from industrial wastewater?
According to the Guardian, UK water companies made more than £340m in revenue last year from processing industrial and commercial wastewater.
What is a trade-effluent consent?
It is a permit issued by water companies that allows businesses to send industrial wastewater to sewage treatment works. Water companies are required by law to take industrial wastewater, though they can refuse applications.
Why is this wastewater a concern?
Experts cited by the Guardian say sewage treatment works are not designed to remove most chemicals, leaving pollutants to pass into rivers, seas and farmland.