Over £10 million in water company fines have been used for numerous cleanup projects across the Thames Valley.

Through the Water Restoration Fund, money from penalties handed to five water companies will fund 51 projects across England.

This will include active measures such as rewilding and restoring floodplains to funding for assessments of water quality, and development of improvement plans.

Those who have been fined include Anglian Water, South West Water, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and United Utilities, with the five institutions being made to pay seven-figure sums for causing pollution incidents between April 2022 and October 2023.

The cleanup projects will repair the damage done by sewage, directly benefitting communities and the environment, which have been harmed by rule-breaking.

Environment Secretary and Labour MP for High Wycombe, Emma Reynolds, said: “I share people’s anger at the damage caused by sewage pollution and want communities to once again feel they can take pride in their environment.

“This money from water company fines will be directed back into local projects to tackle pollution and support long-term plans for nature restoration.

“Under our Plan for Change we’re resetting the water industry – holding water companies to account and reinvesting in areas harmed by their rule-breaking.”

Some of the projects which span the length and breadth of the country include a £1.2 million floodplain and river restoration project on the River Witham in Lincolnshire, as well as river restoration, nutrient capture and wetland creation in the Evenlode catchment in Oxfordshire.

Labour MP for Slough, Tan Dhesi added: “Labour is cleaning up the awful mess the Tories left in our rivers, lakes, and seas. I know locally, constituents will be pleased that the Roundmoor and Boveney Chalk Stream Restoration Project will receive £82,588 in funding. 

Our natural environment must be prioritised and protected.

“This Labour government is listening and acting.”

In May of this year, Thames Water was fined a record £122.7 million after it was found to have broken rules over sewage treatment and paying out dividends.

An investigation into Thames’ sewage treatment works found “a series of failures by the company to build, maintain and operate adequate infrastructure,” said water regulator Ofwat.

The money must be paid by Thames and its investors, not by customers, the watchdog added.

Ofwat chief executive David Black said: “This is a clear-cut case where Thames Water has let down its customers and failed to protect the environment.”

Water companies have faced public outrage over the extent of pollution, rising bills, high dividends, and executive pay and bonuses.

Thames hiked consumer water bills for its 16 million customers by an average of 31 per cent in April, but it is also in about £19 billion of debt and is trying to restructure its finances via a sale to US investment firm KKR.