In September 2024, an environmental and water consultant filed a lawsuit against six water companies, including Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent, United Utilities and Yorkshire Water for allegedly misleading industry regulator Ofwat about the number of pollution incidents. This allegedly enabled them to charge customers higher prices of up to GBP 1.5 billion. The companies said the case should be thrown out.

In October 2024, a campaign group accused two of the water companies, United Utilities and Severn Trent Water of allegedly dumping raw sewage into rivers across the country in suspected illegal breaches of their permits. They were [allegedly] responsible for 1,374 raw sewage spills from sewage treatment works in apparent breaches of permits over a two-year period in more than 80 watercourses.

The water companies argue that the findings are based on “assumptions” and consider them unreliable. A United Utilities spokesperson commented: “The methodology used in this report is not one that is used by regulators or companies and continues to be based on assumptions rather than actual evidence or measured data.” Severn Trent commented: “Our sites have complex hydraulic configurations with multiple interdependencies that need to be assessed using site specific assured data, whereas desktop analysis like this can only produce assumptions and unreliable conclusions."

In November 2024, campaigners reported that United Utilities allegedly discharged untreated sewage on 501 days between 2018 and 2023 from its Near Sawrey plant.

The firm commented that the report is based on "assumptions" and the Near Sawrey plant operated in line with environmental permits.