Sewage discharges around Crawley could be a thing of the past, with 36 criminal investigations into Thames Water and Southern Water launched since General Election

After over a decade of regulatory failure allowed record levels of illegal sewage dumping into England’s rivers, lakes and seas, since last July the Government has spearheaded the largest increase in action against water companies in history.

In the year preceding 2024, sewage was pumped into Crawley’s waterways 66 times, equating to 34 days of nonstop sewage release, a figure which has dropped to two incidences since the start of 2025.

A record 81 criminal investigations into water companies have been launched in England since the General Election, including 31 new investigations into Thames Water and five into Southern Water. If found guilty, water bosses could face up to give years’ imprisonment and hundreds of millions of pounds in fines against their companies.

This marks a 145% increase in investigations compared to those undertaken during the last Government, a period in which the Environment Agency budget was cut by half undermining its ability to investigate and prosecute sewage offenders.

In contrast, the Environment Agency has increased staffing levels by 400 over the last year, in order to carry out inspections into water companies and pollution, and new regulatory powers have been granted through the passage of the landmark Water (Special Measures) Act 2025.

Peter Lamb MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Crawley said:

“During the election, residents across Crawley expressed their disgust at living in a country where the Government was happy to see sewage in our waterways.

“Under Labour, the Government working to clear up the mess, ensuring that those who break the law and pollute our natural environment receive prison sentences, not bonuses.“