South East Water has been given a £76,000 penalty for a water supply breach - human error was blamed as enough water to fill 300,000 baths was taken without an Environment Agency licence.

Southern Water has admitted sea pollution incidents off Kent coastline and others inland – the company released sewage into water just weeks after getting a record £90 million fine for almost 7,000 illegal discharges.

The Government’s first Land Use Framework for England says that by 2050 higher water quality in rivers and groundwaters, and fewer pollutants entering water courses from fields, roads and homes, will translate to lower treatment costs for water companies than they would otherwise be.

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) is warning the Government to do more on PFAS pollution and urgently restrict the non-essential uses of chemicals labelled as ‘forever chemicals’.

South East Water chiefs came under tough questioning in their latest appearance before a sceptical House of Commons Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee last week in a further and lengthy session on water outtages which overran by almost an hour later than originally scheduled.