Guidance published to support water company pollution incident reduction plans

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has published new joint guidance with the Environment Agency in England to support water companies in meeting their legal obligations arising from the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 to reduce pollution incidents.

From 1st April 2026, all water companies operating in England and Wales will be legally required to publish Pollution Incident Reduction Plans. These plans will set out how companies intend to reduce pollution incidents from their assets and protect the water environment.

Pollution Incident Reduction Plans must focus on identifying all potential sources of pollution within their network, assessing the risk to the environment and setting clear targets for reducing incidents.

Companies must follow the new guidance, which outlines the key elements that must be included in the plans.

From 2027 they will also have to publish Implementation Reports that assess the extent to which they have succeeded or failed to implement measures designed to reduce the occurrence of these pollution incidents.

The plans and reports will be reviewed annually by Natural Resources Wales, and the Environment Agency for companies in England, to monitor progress.

The joint guidance is published on the Welsh Government website.

Becky Favager, Head of Regulation and Permitting from Natural Resources Wales said:

“As Wales’s regulator, we welcome the introduction of these new legal requirements, which require water companies to develop robust plans to reduce pollution incidents.

“Pollution Incident Reduction Plans and Implementation Reports require companies to identify the root causes of pollution, outline clear actions and report on progress year-on-year.

“It provides us with another tool to hold the sector to account and increase transparency, while accelerating water company action to reduce sewage spills and improve the health of our waters in Wales.”

Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies, said:

"These Pollution Incident Reduction Plans are about transparency and accountability. This is an important step forward in holding water companies to account and ensuring they take clear, consistent and evidence-based action to prevent water pollution.

"The health of our rivers and waterways is vital to Wales' environment, communities and wildlife. We expect water companies to identify the causes of pollution, take action, and annually report on their progress. Our rivers and waterways deserve nothing less."

The introduction of Pollution Incident Reduction Plans and Implementation Reports supports NRW’s wider efforts to regulate and improve the performance of the water sector in Wales.

NRW will continue to regulate water companies and take appropriate action where pollution incidents occur or where companies fail to meet their legal obligations.