Under-fire water watchdog Ofwat has been blasted for splashing out on a staff bonus bonanza.
New figures show £509,832 was paid out in the last five years despite anger at Ofwat for failing to hold the water industry to account over leaks and sewage pollution.
On Tuesday a House of Lords committee will grill its bosses on “poor performance”.
And they will be asked whether Ofwat has held water companies to their statutory obligations on sewage discharge.
Last night Charles Watson, chair of River Action UK, blasted Ofwat’s “lamentable performance in regulating this noxious
polluting industry”.
He rapped water firms for failing “to make meaningful reduction in reducing sewage discharges”, adding: “I struggle to find justification for any bonuses.”
Over the last year, 106 Ofwat staff pocketed bonuses. Some were given £50 vouchers, while others picked up payments averaging £1,800.
The House of Lords’ inquiry comes after it emerged water firms are raking in huge profits despite a water crisis and hosepipe bans.
They made £2.8billion in combined operating profits last year, which campaigners say should go to cleaning up rivers in which they dump raw sewage.
Firms were responsible for more than 400,000 sewage dumping events in 2020 alone, according to the Environment Agency.
CEOs pocket huge salaries, with £16.8billion in dividends paid to shareholders over 11 years.
Birmingham-based Ofwat has around 250 staff. Boss David Black earns £150,000.
The Commons Environmental Audit Committee has asked if Ofwat could limit executive bonuses at polluting firms.
Ofwat says it has improved performance on leakage and will act fast if firms break agreements on sewage. Staff got a sub-inflation 2% rise this year.
