Severn Trent pays over £2 million to charities for pollution incidents
Environmental charities benefit from funds following sewage discharge
Last updated 4th Aug 2026
Severn Trent Water Limited has contributed over £2 million to environmental charities following investigations by the Environment Agency into illegal sewage discharges in the West Midlands.
The Enforcement Undertakings accepted by the Environment Agency have led Severn Trent to donate £2,277,424 to countryside charities involved in wildlife restoration projects in Gloucestershire and other parts of the region.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has received £1.8 million to support initiatives like the Severn Treescapes project, which focuses on planting and restoring trees that play a crucial role in protecting rivers, stabilising riverbanks, and reducing soil erosion.
Severn Rivers Trust is set to benefit from a £450,000 contribution, which will be used for a range of practical river restoration measures, including floodplain reconnection and wetland creation.
The payments result from two separate Enforcement Undertakings linked to unauthorised sewage discharges. The first involved two discharges from Blackminster Wastewater Treatment Works into Broadway Brook on 12th June 2022 and 20th August 2022, resulting in £1.5 million for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
The second incident concerned the failure to comply with permitted levels of ammonia at Cheltenham Wastewater Treatment Works, leading to a £327,424 payment to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and £450,000 to Severn Rivers Trust.
Geoff Craig, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said: "While we continue to prosecute and sanction the most serious offences, Enforcement Undertakings allow companies to put right what went wrong and channel money directly into the environment. This figure of over £2.2 million will be invested back into the local area to enhance the environment, delivering real benefits for people and wildlife."
A spokesperson for the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust said: "The funding will support environmental restoration work in Gloucestershire, particularly the Severn Treescapes project, helping to plant and restore trees across the landscape. Trees play an important role in protecting rivers by filtering pollutants before they reach waterways, stabilising riverbanks, reducing soil erosion and helping to slow the flow of water during heavy rainfall. Alongside this work, we will continue to campaign for stronger action to protect our rivers, including through initiatives such as the Clean Water Now campaign, and work with partners to improve water systems."
A spokesperson for the Severn Rivers Trust said: "Enforcement Undertakings provide an opportunity to deliver targeted environmental improvements that help address the impacts of pollution and strengthen the resilience of our rivers. At Severn Rivers Trust, the funding secured will enable us to deliver a package of practical river restoration measures across the Severn catchment. Through river habitat restoration, floodplain reconnection, wetland creation and working with landowners to reduce diffuse pollution, these projects will help create healthier, more resilient river catchments."
Enforcement Undertakings provide an alternative sanction for environmental offences, allowing businesses to propose voluntary agreements to address environmental harm through actions and funding restorative projects.