Only three people ever prosecuted for covering up England’s illegal sewage spills.
Employees of water firms who obstruct investigations into spills could face jail under new rules that come into force on Friday.
Water company bosses have entirely escaped punishment for covering up illegal sewage spills, government figures show, as ministers prepare to bring in a new law threatening them with up to two years in prison for doing so.
Only three people have ever been prosecuted for obstructing the Environment Agency in its investigations into sewage spills, officials said, and none received even a fine.
Officials said the data shows why the water regulator has found it so difficult to stop illegal spills, which happen when companies dump raw sewage during dry weather. The Environment Agency, which investigates water companies in England, has identified hundreds of such cases since 2020.
