Failing water firm ordered to cut bills by £38 million boasted of winning FOUR awards last year

Shamed Anglian Water, among over a dozen firms hit by penalties, crowed about winning industry gongs in 2023

A shamed water firm ordered to hand customers tens of millions back via lower bills boasted about scooping FOUR industry gongs only last year.

Anglian Water is among over a dozen companies penalised by having to cut charges over poor performance. But we can reveal how the failing firm – which has to drop bills by £38.1 million – crowed about being given top prize at the Water Industry Awards in 2023.

The “lagging” company’s penalty is the second highest of water firms forced to provide lower future bills to the tune of £157.6million after missing key targets. Yet Anglian Water – which recorded a £337 million operating profit in 2023-4 – gave itself a pat on the back last year for winning no fewer than four prizes.

But River Action CEO James Wallace said: “Anglian Water’s self-congratulation is outrageous. Not one water company meets the water watchdog’s ‘leading’ standard, yet just last year Anglian Water bragged about winning awards. The water sector is poisoning our waterways for profit, and we’re furious. That’s why thousands will rally in London on November 3rd for the March for Clean Water. Enough is enough.”

Alongside a picture of the awards ceremony, Anglian Water’s website crowed in a July 2023 post: “Anglian Water is celebrating today after receiving an impressive four awards at the renowned Water Industry Awards last night in Birmingham, including the prestigious Water Company of the Year…

“The Water Industry Awards recognise the very best practice from the frontline of the UK water sector with a special focus on innovation and its applicability to the wider industry. Entries are rigorously assessed by an esteemed panel of industry experts, who are looking for evidence of tangible benefits – to customers, to the environment, and to companies themselves.”

The firm’s then boss Peter Simpson said he was “so proud of our achievements”. The company won the top prize, as well as being award gongs for “Diversity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year”, “Ground breaker Award for its low water commissioning approach in its Strategic Pipeline Project” and “Partnership Project of the Year for the Beacon Project with WaterAid, and the Nepal Water Supply Corporation”.

But the firm’s performance in 2023-4 was far from “impressive”. Anglian Water was found to be “poorer than performance commitment level” in several categories including leakage, drinking water quality, internal sewer flooding, per capita consumption, pollution incidents (category 1-3) and treatment works compliance.

Regulator Ofwat’s performance report said Anglian is “a long way from meeting the 2024-25 target” for pollution incidents and has “now failed to meet the performance commitment level for four consecutive years”.

Ofwat says customer bills will be reduced to reflect the performance penalties in 2025-6 – with the exact amount finalised at the end of this year. Ofwat’s CEO David Black said of firms’ performance: “It is clear that companies need to change and that has to start with addressing issues of culture and leadership. Too often we hear that weather, third parties or external factors are blamed for shortcomings.”

Anglian Water says on its website it supplies water and water recycling services to nearly seven million people in the East of England and Hartlepool. A spokesperson for the firm said: “It’s important to us to champion and value the work of our people, many of whom work around the clock whatever the weather & often in very challenging conditions, to keep our services running. However, we also understand how this looks in the current climate and have taken that on board.”