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.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay has announced that water company bosses are set to be banned from receiving bonuses if a company has committed serious criminal breaches.

Following the publication of Ofwat’s findings against Southern Water for sewage treatment failures which resulted in a record £126 million penalty for the utility, Chief Executive Rachel Fletcher has described it as a dark week for the water industry.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has launched a new wide-ranging consultation on its proposals to modernise water regulation, improve long-term planning for water resources and drainage and strengthen powers for Ofwat.

Ofwat has introduced licence changes due to come into force early next year which will see all water companies’ licence obligations set out in clearer, more accessible language.