Official figures detailing pollution incidents by water companies in England may be underreporting the true scale of environmental damage, according to a whistleblower. Robert Forrester, a former Environment Agency (EA) employee, claims that official data published by the EA omits hundreds of pollution incidents and fails to include data from some water suppliers.
Forrester's figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, indicate that 3,513 pollution incidents were recorded against water companies in England in 2024. This contrasts with the EA's published data, which showed 2,801 incidents for the same year, suggesting that approximately one-fifth of incidents were not publicly disclosed.
The number of serious pollution incidents, defined as those with a significant or severe impact on the environment, also showed a discrepancy. The EA's report stated 75 serious incidents, while Forrester's data indicates 92. This represents a 19% increase in serious incidents according to his figures.
Forrester attributed these discrepancies to delays in reporting and the re-categorization of incidents following lengthy appeal investigations, arguing that updates are not published to reflect these changes. He also noted that the EA's public report excludes land and air pollution incidents, as well as incidents from water supply firms rather than just sewage disposal companies.
"Covering up the scale of the problem suggests the priority for the Environment Agency leadership is still to protect the water industry rather than regulate them," Forrester stated. He accused the EA of a "culture of deception to the public, as opposed to transparency" and restricting frontline staff who aim to hold water companies accountable.
Thames Water was identified as the worst offender in the mismatched reports. The EA reported 523 total incidents, with 33 classified as serious. Forrester's data shows 696 total incidents, including 39 serious cases, a difference of 173 incidents. Anglian Water saw its total increase by 133 to 649 incidents, and Southern Water reported an increase of 68 incidents, bringing its total to 400.
The whistleblower's claims also cast doubt on the EA's explanation for poor performance in 2024, which cited extremely wet weather. Forrester pointed out that pollution levels changed little in 2025, with only a 6% decrease in incidents despite a significantly drier year and widespread drought.
An Environment Agency spokesperson countered the allegations, stating that the comparison involved "two completely different data sets." The agency asserted that it assesses every reported water pollution incident and is committed to transparency. "We are committed to transparency, have fundamentally strengthened our approach to tackling water pollution and we don't hesitate to prosecute water companies who break the law," the spokesperson said. The EA maintains that its reported numbers are not significantly lower than reality.