Thames Water fined £123mn over sewage leaks and ‘undeserved’ dividends

Thames Water has faced significant regulatory scrutiny for failing to upgrade its sewage treatment facilities, resulting in raw sewage discharges into waterways and a £104.5 million fine from Ofwat, the largest in its history. With systemic issues identified since 2017, the company is under pressure to implement remediation plans while grappling with £20 billion in debt and a recent £3 billion loan to avoid collapse. Calls for renationalization have emerged amid ongoing investigations into water companies for environmental violations, intensifying the crisis in the sector.