The ten English water management companies have issued a joint apology and recognised they failed to address sewage spills in beaches and rivers quickly enough.
The apology was made by Water UK, the industry body which represents England's nine water and sewage companies. To address the situation, the organisation announced plans for the largest-ever investment in sewage networks, which will cut the number of overflows by up to 140,000 each year by 2030, compared to the level in 2020.
However, customers and campaigners have complained over suggestions that the upgrade might result in higher bills for customers.
"The message from the water and sewage industry today is clear – we are sorry," said Ruth Kelly, chair of Water UK. “More should have been done to address the issue of spillages sooner and the public is right to be upset about the current quality of our rivers and beaches.
“We have listened and have an unprecedented plan to start...