Revamped ratings to drive better water company performance

The Environment Agency is pushing water companies to strengthen their efforts to improve the environment by tightening up the way it ranks and tracks their performance. It will look like the number of pollution incidents has increased – however the guidance creates greater transparency in the way water companies record and report pollution incidents.

From 2027, the annual Environmental Performance Assessment (EPA) reporting will look different. Companies will no longer be given a star rating but will instead be assigned a descriptor and number rating to more accurately reflect their performance.

Previously, companies were given a rating of 1 to 4 stars. As part of the new methodology, companies will instead be given a numeric rating from 1 to 5, with only those that achieve the highest s