The Sewage Scandal: Tracking the Key Players
Water companies in the UK have faced intense public scrutiny for their handling of the sewage crisis, with recent events highlighting systemic failures. South West Water pleaded guilty to supplying water unfit for human consumption, while South East Water was fined £22.5 million for repeated supply failures affecting over 280,000 people. Over the past six years, the full scale of sewage pollution has been revealed, drawing criticism towards key figures in regulatory bodies and privatized companies. Channel 4's drama Dirty Business has further focused attention on these individuals, prompting an examination of their current activities.
James Bevan: From Environment Agency to Welsh Water
Sir James Bevan served as chief executive of the Environment Agency from 2015 to March 2023. He faced criticism for failing to police water companies, reducing monitoring, and attempting to weaken regulations amid growing public outcry over river pollution. Bevan defended the system of operator self-monitoring, where companies reported their own pollution, a practice the Labour government is now ending. In February 2025, he was appointed a non-executive director of Dwr Cymru, or Welsh Water, a not-for-profit company. Welsh Water praised his experience in environmental regulation and public policy, noting his contributions during a period of regulatory reform and investment.
David Black: Ofwat's Chief Executive and Post-Regulator Life
David Black was chief executive of Ofwat from April 2022 to 2025, having joined in 2012 as director of economics. During his tenure, water companies increased their debt burdens beyond Ofwat's 60% benchmark, used offshore structures to minimize taxes, and paid high dividends while neglecting infrastructure. Economist Dieter Helm described this as "great financial engineering." Black left Ofwat in August 2025 after the government decided to replace the regulator. He is scheduled to speak at the Weekend of Mistakes Festival 2026 in Hay-on-Wye, discussing what went wrong with the UK's water industry and potential fixes at a £150-a-ticket event.
Richard Aylard: Thames Water's Spokesperson
Richard Aylard, a retired Royal Navy officer, joined Thames Water in 2002 as corporate responsibility director and later became external affairs and sustainability director. He has been at the forefront of public anger over sewage pollution and water outages in south-east England. Aylard remains at Thames Water as a director and special adviser to the chief executive, acting as a primary spokesperson on environmental performance and investment plans for sewage infrastructure.
Matthew Wright: From Southern Water to Renewable Energy
Matthew Wright served as chief executive of Southern Water from 2011 to 2016, during which the company illegally discharged billions of litres of raw sewage into protected waters in Hampshire and Kent. In 2020, Southern Water was fined a record £90 million for these actions and falsifying data, following a £126 million penalty from Ofwat in 2019. Wright, who earned over £5 million during his tenure, left in December 2016 and became UK director of Ørsted until 2020. He later worked at National Grid ESO and was chief operating officer of Exagen Group until February 2024, shifting towards renewable energy. He admitted the offences occurred "partly on my watch."
Susan Davy: South West Water's Retired Executive
Susan Davy was chief executive of South West Water for five years and chief financial officer from 2015 until her retirement in December last year. Under her leadership, the company faced repeated sewage pollution and received a two-star environmental performance rating. In 2024, South West Water pleaded guilty to supplying unfit water to 2,500 households. Davy received an £803,000 pay package in her final year, including £191,000 in long-term bonuses. Ofwat imposed a £24 million enforcement package on the company last summer for failures in managing wastewater treatment works and sewer networks.
Nicola Shaw: Yorkshire Water's Bonus Controversy
Nicola Shaw, chief executive of Yorkshire Water, had her bonus banned last year under a Labour law targeting heads of companies worst for sewage dumping. Yorkshire Water was fined £47 million in 2024 for excessive spills from storm overflows due to poor maintenance. Despite this, Shaw received extra payments totalling £660,000 from the company's Jersey-registered parent, Kelda Holdings, in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years.
Sarah Bentley: Thames Water's Short-Lived Turnaround
Sarah Bentley was chief executive of Thames Water from September 2020 to June 2023, promising an eight-year turnaround but leaving after three years amid public outcry over raw sewage discharges and missed pollution targets. She forfeited her bonus for 2022-23 but received a £1.5 million pay package. Bentley did little to address Thames Water's nearly £20 billion debt or reduce sewage pollution. She left during an Ofwat investigation that resulted in a £104 million penalty in June 2024 for routine raw sewage discharges from nearly 70% of treatment plants.
David Henderson: Water UK's Lobbyist
David Henderson, chief executive of Water UK, worked with Ofwat to reduce fines for water companies and potential jail time for executives. A former Downing Street official and adviser to Gordon Brown and Ruth Kelly, Henderson's role focused on industry advocacy during the crisis.
David Miliband and Regina Finn: Historical Roles
David Miliband was environment secretary in October 2006 when Macquarie's takeover of Thames Water was approved. He is now president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee. Regina Finn was chair of Ofwat during the Macquarie deal, which led to heavy debt accumulation and dividend extraction at Thames Water. She now works as a director at Lucerna Partners, with Thames Water as a major client.
The sewage crisis continues to evolve, with these figures representing a complex web of regulatory and corporate responsibilities that have shaped the UK's water industry challenges.
