Yorkshire Water's new low rating on pollution incidents 'no surprise' says Harrogate MP
“Yorkshire Water, which serves 2.4 million homes in the region, has admitted that its pollution performance isn't “where it needs to be”
The Environment Agency decision to give Yorkshire Water to the lowest environmental rating has been described as "no surprise".
The one-star rating follows the annual Environmental Performance Assessment of England's nine water and sewerage companies on how often they pollute rivers, streams and the sea.
Eight of the nine companies in England were rated as "poor" or "requiring improvement", with only Severn Trent receiving the highest rating.
Yorkshire Water has dropped from two stars to one in the EA assessment, after its pollution incidents rose by 72%, from 151 to 260, in 12 months.
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon said, as shocking as that was, neither he nor his constituents were surprised by the latest news.
The Lib Dem MP blamed years of Conservative failure and accused the Labour government of letting the company off lightly.
"Nobody in Harrogate and Knaresborough is surprised,” said Mr Gordon.
“Just last week I met Surfers Against Sewage to talk about pollution in the Nidd.
“We have the same conversation every time, because nothing changes.
"The Conservatives broke this industry.
“For 14 years they let water companies load up on debt, pay-out to shareholders and pump sewage into our rivers, while they cut the Environment Agency's budget and voted against tougher limits on sewage dumping.
“They left behind a regulator with no teeth and an industry with no shame.
Yorkshire Water, which serves 2.4 million homes in the region, has admitted that its pollution performance isn't “where it needs to be” but the business was investing £8.3 billion between 2025 and 2030, including £1.5bn to cut discharges from storm overflows.
The company said it had already delivered 300 schemes across the region since April 2025.
Stephanie Pullan, Yorkshire Water Director of Asset Management, said: "Our pollution performance isn't where it needs to be, and we haven't delivered on time six of our Water Industry National Environment Programme schemes."
She said the company was "looking at our operational performance, making sure that we're being as predictive as we can be", as well as "investing in the long-term and our assets".
In 2020, Yorkshire Water was given the top rating of four stars by the EA, described at the time as "industry leading".
The one star rating means the water giant is now classed as a "poor performing company" for its impact on the environment.
The new figures showed Yorkshire Water was responsible for 260 pollution incidents in 2025, up from 151 the year before, a rise of more than 70% and the highest total since 2011.
Average bills for customers in the region rose by about 30% in April 2025 and by an additional 5.6% in April this year.
Harrogate MP Tom Gordon pointed out that recent times have seen Yorkshire Water chief executive Nicola Shaw's pay package rise to £732,000, boosted by a further £660,000 from the firm's offshore parent company, Kelda Holdings.
Mr Gordon said: "Labour promised to clean up this mess but, more than two years on, the bosses who presided over this are still being paid handsomely.
“Ministers brought in a bonus ban and then stood by while payments are routed through offshore companies.
"Residents are watching their bills climb while sewage flows into our rivers.
“It's a slap in the face to every household in Yorkshire.
"Labour needs to stop tinkering and act.
“That means scrapping Ofwat now, not years down the line, turning water companies into public benefit companies that put the environment before shareholders, and making sure no boss of a one-star company takes home a penny more."