Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.

UK water companies discharge sewage into water, protected by monopoly

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 15 Nov 2022 16:27
  • 1 Shares
2 Min Read

A specialized firm concludes after conducting its investigation that consumers might be qualified to launch class action against water companies in the UK that are dumping untreated sewage into waterways and beaches

  • x
  • as
    Untreated sewage discharged by water companies in the UK.

Following an investigation conducted by Fideres LLP, the specialized firm concluded that water companies might be stipulated to compensate their customers with hundreds of millions in fines after uncovering water pollution caused by sewage.

According to economists at the firm, the water companies might be obliged, under British competition law, to pay consumers for polluting the country's waterways and beaches with sewage spillages.

Read more: Firms causing packaging pollution accused of 'blatant greenwashing'

The firm's economists stated that consumers could be qualified to initiate a class action lawsuit against the water companies that are accused of breaching the competition law.

The companies, according to the firm, are not discharging their untreated sewage in a correct manner, adding that homes were "exploited" by the monopoly of the companies.

In a statement, the firm said, “We argue that these discharges constitute exploitative abuses of their dominant position."

“This type of abuse reflects not the setting of excessive prices, but the provision (as a result of underinvestment) of an excessively low quality of service," the statement added.

Read more: World's rivers tremendously polluted by drugs

The economists in the firm argued that they, "estimate that households purchasing UK wastewater services have since 2016 incurred damages of approximately £163m as a result of the water companies abusing their dominant position."

“We also estimate the same companies have charged households more than £1.1bn for sewage removal services, when in fact they have not safely removed that sewage, instead they have simply discharged that sewage into the country’s rivers and onto its beaches,” they added.

A price cap is set on the services by the regulator, Ofwat, since customers often don't have a choice to purchase cheaper or different water services due to the monopoly.

Companies annually verify that their pricing enables them to meet their environmental commitments, including not releasing untreated sewage, among others, however, in case they are unable to do that they have to inform Ofwat.

The firm argued that companies have resorted to decreasing investment, which includes basic commitments, rather than increasing prices which goes against the competition law.

  • Water UK
  • Britain
  • UK
  • Water pollution

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS