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CEO Loses £1M Bonus After Massive Sewage Spill
11 Oct
Summary
- Over 3,500 tonnes of raw sewage flooded the River Mardyke.
- The pollution incident resulted in the deaths of 4,723 fish.
- An ignored alarm at a pumping station caused the major spill.
Anglian Water's chief executive, Mark Thurston, had his £1.05 million bonus withheld for the 2025-26 financial year. This decision follows a severe pollution incident where nearly 3,500 tonnes of untreated sewage entered the River Mardyke in Grays, Essex, on August 25, 2025. The spill resulted in the deaths of at least 4,723 fish, including critically endangered European eels.
The Environment Agency classified the event as a Category 1 incident, its highest rating for major environmental harm. Investigations revealed that an alarm at the Corran Way pumping station was disregarded due to an oversight instructing operators to ignore alerts from the site. This failure allowed a malfunctioning valve to discharge untreated sewage directly into the river.
The actual number of fish killed is believed to be higher, as some areas of the affected watercourse were inaccessible for a full search. The incident underscores new government legislation aimed at increasing accountability within water companies and improving their environmental performance.
