The Environment Agency increase enforcement workforce
Thursday 19th February 2026
The Environment Agency (EA) has put together its largest ever team of investigators, enforcement officers, and lawyers, to strengthen its enforcement capability.
The enforcement workforce has increased fivefold, and there are plans to increase this further into 2026. This increase is attributed to the decrease in water company environmental performance in recent years, driving the need for enforcement action.
In the financial year 2025/26, the EA has carried out 8,000 water company inspections and has issued over 4,700 individual improvement actions for water companies, including repairing sewage works and upgrading infrastructure. This follows new enforcement powers brought in by the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025. Water enforcement last year resulted in over £6.9 million in enforcement undertakings being paid by water companies.
The increase in enforcement action has already led to a 4% decrease in permit breaches in 2026 and is backed by the largest ever budget for water enforcement.