Elevated revenue and shareholder funds at water firm amid sewage discharges

Midlands and Wales water agency Severn Trent has reported an increase in revenue and funds to shareholders, whereas saying it should have acted faster on sewage discharges.

Income sooner than tax and curiosity reached £508.8m inside the 12 months to the highest of March, up from £506.2m the 12 months sooner than.

Shareholder funds too are up and estimated to be value higher than £260m. A dividend for the 12 months of £1.06 per share has been proposed by Severn Trent, 4p further per share than remaining 12 months.

It comes as the highest of enterprise physique UK Water remaining week apologised for not showing quickly enough on sewage spills into UK rivers and seas and acknowledged it would spend £10bn on the problem.

Buyer funds will probably be elevated to fund that spending, Ruth Kelly instructed Sky Information.

The apology by UK Water was not repeated by Severn Trent in its annual outcomes, nonetheless the agency acknowledged the enterprise should have given sewage “rather more consideration” and “acted quicker”.

Learn further:
Why addressing sewage spills was not a priority for the water enterprise
Water corporations to face limitless fines for polluting
Water corporations apologise for sewage discharges

There have been a imply of 18 sewage discharges per overflow sewer a 12 months, the report acknowledged, down from a imply of 25 discharges remaining 12 months. Severn Trent’s web page says it has roughly 2,400 overflow sewers, which suggests there have been roughly 43,200 discharges inside the 12 months.

In response to the Environmental Company, 301,091 sewage spills have been recorded remaining 12 months – 824 a day on frequent – from all 10 water and sewerage corporations in England. It’s a reduction from 2021 when there have been a imply of 1,020 a day. However the drop bought right here ensuing from “dry climate, not water firm motion”, the corporate acknowledged.

Severn Trent govt funds for 2023 normally will not be acknowledged at present because the directors’ remuneration report has not however been printed. Final 12 months chief govt Liv Garfield acquired a £3.9m bundle, making her the most effective paid govt inside the water sector.