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Dirty Business S01E03 (2026) [Full Movie] [Recommended]Full EP - Full
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00:04I'm not sure if I'm going to go in.
00:06Really?
00:07Yeah.
00:08You'll be fine.
00:09Be cold.
00:10You're drowning.
00:14Or maybe you try it for a bit.
00:15I'll go first.
00:18Looking good.
00:19Looking rough.
00:21Scaredy cat.
00:23I'm not sure.
00:24Surprise, you?
00:49No prints.
00:53Nothing taken or disturbed?
00:57No.
00:58Unfortunately, the blood sample wasn't big enough for the lab to get a full DNA read.
01:05It's disappointing.
01:08Well, I really thought there was enough for a full sample.
01:12Apparently not.
01:14What about the glove mark?
01:15Not enough resolution for them to do anything with.
01:18You know, I took photos of the house right after the break-in.
01:23And nothing was touched?
01:25No.
01:26Or they put everything back in its place, which is what you would do if you were installing a listening
01:31device.
01:31I've applied for warrants to do exactly that.
01:34You're a copper?
01:34Serious Crime Squad.
01:36Covert Surveillance Unit.
01:37Counter-corruption.
01:38I'm innocent.
01:41Well, I mean, as you know, we've done a couple of sweeps.
01:49Nothing.
01:50No, me neither.
01:53So, there's not much more we can do.
01:57Okay.
02:08No, me neither.
02:10No, me neither.
02:11No, me neither.
02:12No, me neither.
02:15No, me neither.
02:15No, me neither.
02:15No, me neither.
02:16No, me neither.
02:17No, me neither.
02:17No, me neither.
02:17No, me neither.
02:18No, me neither.
02:18No, me neither.
02:18No, me neither.
02:18No, me neither.
02:19No, me neither.
02:20No, me neither.
02:23No, me neither.
02:36Come on.
02:58Well, you've worked in surveillance, haven't you, for years, so you're telling me you can't actually see if they've got
03:05a new computer or not?
03:06No. I've done what I can to check, but you just can't tell now.
03:12You see, there's this incognito spyware runs a keylogger in the background, which means they can record every key you
03:18press, every mouse click.
03:19They can see the emails you write, your messages, your passwords, et cetera, everything.
03:24But they build it so you don't know it's there.
03:26What did the police say?
03:29Well, an officer came out. He took a sample of the blood.
03:32There was some blood on the handle downstairs, and he thought he could see a disposable glove mark in it,
03:38which means that whoever did it wants to make sure they're untraceable.
03:42He did think they could find a DNA result.
03:44And then nothing, nothing happens.
03:48What do you think this is, sir?
03:49Anything they can find to discredit us.
03:52Something that would look good on the cover of the Daily Mail, for example.
03:56I mean, I can't think of anything that, you know, I mean, I'm...
03:59Well, you know what it is.
04:01What's that?
04:03It's the Free Jazz.
04:05If that gets out, we're fucked.
04:06Oh, fuck off.
04:08But who would want to discredit us, sir?
04:10I don't know.
04:11It could be a burglar who just got scared and legged it.
04:14Yeah, well, or he could have just seen Jala's Hawaiian cushions.
04:19Don't say that in front of Jala.
04:20I'm not going to do that, am I?
04:21I want to hang on to my balls.
04:24You know, the other day when this happened, the first thing I did was pick up the phone to you.
04:31Yeah, no, I did see it, yeah.
04:33You probably saw it.
04:34I hung up.
04:35Just to...
04:36Yeah, I just think that what we need now is we need, um...
04:42We need a whistleblower, don't we?
04:43And we need someone from inside the agency.
04:47And high up.
04:48From the top, yeah.
04:51Eileen said that we must be making a difference.
04:53Did she?
04:54Yeah, she did.
04:55So, come on, let's, um...
04:57That's the point, isn't it?
04:58Yeah, we are.
04:58There's no point doing this unless we make a difference.
05:00No, let's keep going.
05:01Let's keep going and let's find that fucking whistleblower.
05:04Right.
05:04June 2019, Sir James Bevan Environment Agency.
05:10Dear Sir James, I'm writing to your office as I'm sure you will know where to direct the question.
05:14October 2019, dear Sir James, I wrote to you to raise concerns about a serious integrity issue involving the agency.
05:23Dear Sir James, 34 days have now passed since I sent you evidence.
05:27I've given up expecting a reply from you.
05:31Dear Ashley, I am in the receipt of your email to Sir James.
05:41Would you mind coming to our office and would the 19th suit?
05:55Is Sir James not coming?
05:57I'm afraid not.
05:58No, Sir James wouldn't routinely attend meetings at this kind of level.
06:02I'd hoped he'd be here.
06:04He's time, Paul.
06:06He's aware of your work.
06:07Well, we're trying to find out what you're going to do about the illegal sewage overflow at Boughton.
06:14The combined storm overflow, yeah.
06:16The combined storm overflow at Burton has shown no detectable effects on the water quality.
06:21The water quality is stable and not deteriorating.
06:24I mean, our data shows very clearly that we have the best quality water since the Industrial Revolution.
06:31The water's turned brown.
06:32Yeah.
06:33It's turned so brown that when it joins the Thames at Newbridge, it makes the Thames look like a Swiss
06:38mountain stream.
06:40The water is brown in places, but that's a natural phenomenon.
06:45It's caused by a geological fault.
06:46Sorry, a geological fault?
06:48Yeah.
06:49Yeah.
06:49Sorry, a geological fault is millions of years old.
06:53We remember when the water was clear.
06:55No one remembers the good old days before the geological fault.
06:58In the last 12 months since we installed sensors, there's been no evidence of pollution.
07:03Well, that's because you've installed the monitors upstream from the sewage pipes.
07:06Now, is that incompetence or an attempt to cover up a scandal?
07:10No, no.
07:10The agency would never position a monitor to achieve a particular reading.
07:14We are working extremely hard to transform the environment.
07:16We've improved and protected something like, I think it's 15,000 kilometers of river.
07:21It's like, but you've had 92 complaints from the general public about sewage pollution.
07:28And that's just the wind rush.
07:29I've actually got the breakdown here.
07:32Yeah, yeah.
07:35In 36 of those cases, there was no offense.
07:39And in 39, there was insufficient evidence.
07:44And in 6, we were unable to identify the offender.
07:49What do you mean you couldn't identify the offenders?
07:51Why can't you identify the offenders?
07:52There's seven sewage works along the wind rush.
07:55They're all run by Thames water.
07:56I mean, you say you've got insufficient evidence, but we keep giving you the evidence.
08:00All we ever do is give you the evidence.
08:02And all we get back is it's under investigation.
08:04And then nothing, nothing, nothing ever happens.
08:09In exceptional circumstances, for example, after heavy rain, the sewage systems are allowed to overflow.
08:15No, no, no, no.
08:17You see, that's not the law.
08:18The law is that in all normal climatic conditions, including heavy rainfall, the water companies have to treat the sewage.
08:25They have to make it safe before they put it back into the river.
08:29The law is a grey area.
08:30No, no, it's not a grey area with respect.
08:32It's the law.
08:33Sorry, can I?
08:35Sorry.
08:37Thames is their own data.
08:40It shows they stopped treating sewage at Northridge for more than three months.
08:46Now, they told us that their sensors had broken down, but we think they're lying.
08:54They're lying.
08:55So why would they do that?
08:58Why would they lie to you?
09:12Doors closed here.
09:18We're protecting regulators.
09:22Sorry?
09:25The regulation isn't real.
09:27The government want us to look like a regulator, but they won't let us do our job.
09:32Okay.
09:34When Cameron and Trust gutted the agency, we went from regulating the industry to doing its bidding.
09:41Do you think we could take your number?
09:43Just keep going.
09:47This is going to be the first government in modern history that at the end of its parliamentary term has
09:53less regulation in place than there was at the beginning.
09:56We've now identified those 3,000 regulations that we're going to scrap.
10:00Let's reduce the amount and the burden of regulation strangled by rent-take.
10:04Cut back the health and safety monster.
10:06Cut guidance by 80% and we'll reduce farm inspections by 34,000 every year.
10:12Regulations will...
10:13None of my ministers could introduce a regulation unless they abolished one at the same time.
10:18Massively reduce the number of rules, laws and regulations that frankly treat all of you by idiots.
10:27So, really, it's about stripping out as much unnecessary regulation as possible and taking responsibility for climate change and saying
10:37what more can we do to get us to net zero?
10:41As you know, this is a passion project for Sir James, who feels that we can bring our car usage
10:48down by 70%.
10:51Yeah.
10:52It's...
10:53Yeah.
10:53So, from next month, we're going to be taking the bold decision to cut back decisively on our car leases.
11:04Yeah.
11:05Come on.
11:06Sorry.
11:07Just like to clarify what you're going to get rid of our cars.
11:12So, it's about reducing the agency's carbon footprint.
11:16Just getting that...
11:17Yeah.
11:18Go ahead, Hannah.
11:19The cars that we drive to the inspections in.
11:23Right.
11:23Yeah.
11:24So, self-monitoring and a more desk-based regulation is really, it's really helping us move the needle on climate
11:32change.
11:35But the remaining inspections...
11:39Yeah.
11:40How do we get to those without a car?
11:43Yeah.
11:45It's a great question.
11:46It's a really great question.
11:48And we'll take that forward to the next discussion meeting.
11:51Thanks, Hannah.
11:53Yeah.
11:53Yeah, lovely.
11:53Thanks, everyone.
11:54Not easy news to break, is it?
11:56Yeah, surprise, surprise.
11:57Ebby's got something to say.
11:58I know, I know.
11:59But my car...
11:59Everyone's driving cars.
12:00We're the environment agency.
12:02Absolutely.
12:02What's wrong with the train?
12:03I'll keep mine, I think.
12:04So, yeah.
12:05Mmm, coffee.
12:06How do I get a coffee?
12:09Does anybody know what we're looking at?
12:12Anybody?
12:14Okay.
12:15Could you tell me what the reactants are?
12:17So, if you move your head even slightly, the vertical gets more intense?
12:21Yeah.
12:21And the attack's happening maybe twice a week?
12:24About that, yeah.
12:29The good news is that you don't have cancer.
12:32We actually think it's Meniere's.
12:34It's a disease of the inner ear.
12:36The main symptom is acute vertigo episodes, vomiting, tinnitus.
12:43It's a pretty neat fit with your presentation.
12:48They were dumping sewage in the water the last time before I got sick.
12:54Right.
12:55You know that from the surface against sewage app?
12:58Okay.
13:01Might that be?
13:02The causes are unclear.
13:04It's post-viral.
13:05This often starts with an ear infection.
13:07You know, they're common in surfers.
13:08Yeah.
13:09Every surfer I know.
13:13This is a chronic condition.
13:16I'm afraid there's no cure.
13:18And a
13:29This is a hospital.
13:34Yes, so right.
13:39Should we leave the table away?
13:40Just hold his back.
14:08So, by ending on-site inspections into Categories 3 and 4, no or low-impact pollution events
14:16and doubling down on the more serious Category 1 and 2 incidents, we think we can turn ourselves
14:24into a more effective fighting unit.
14:26Yeah.
14:27So, from today, we are ending on-site inspections for Cats 3 and 4.
14:32Any questions?
14:34Well, yeah, a Category 3 incident can be two kilometres of sewage.
14:43We want you to not inspect, to not spend time on these incidents.
14:49Except that, since the water companies have been self-reporting, they almost always only
14:56report Categories 3s and 4s, so they're not actually reporting serious incidents.
15:01And so, if the water companies are only reporting 3s and 4s, and we're no longer allowed to
15:07investigate...
15:08So, what exactly are we going to be doing?
15:11I've told the government, you get the regulation you pay for, we no longer have the money to
15:16go on inspecting low-grade pollution events.
15:19We need you to shut down these reports as unsubstantiated or to silently pass them and to not report them
15:26as pollution incidents.
15:27Yes.
15:28Is that clear?
15:33Yeah.
15:34Thanks, everyone.
15:35You're on with your day?
15:36Yeah.
15:47We had to fuck.
15:49Fucking wankers.
15:50How are you going to get to fucking work?
15:52Fuck nice.
15:55Horseback.
16:03What time did he call you?
16:04I passed 10 last night.
16:08He said he couldn't miss it.
16:20Oh, my God, look at it.
16:26I'll get some shots and we'll call the agency on the way back.
16:37To be continued...
17:51Debbie?
17:52Hmm?
17:52Are you driving into work tomorrow?
17:55Oh, yeah, obviously. How else would I get in?
17:56Well, can I borrow your car at lunchtime?
18:00What for?
18:02Someone keeps calling up and complaining about the same incident.
18:06It's near the bridge at Hawkrise, so I'm going to go and take a look.
18:11Okay.
18:12A bit of freelance investigation.
18:14A bit of freelance.
18:15And also, it needs to be off the books.
18:17And I need you to promise me not to tell Sophie.
18:21I can't tell Sophie.
18:22You can't tell Sophie.
18:23I mean, we've seen our water, doesthope anything.
18:26I mean, thank you.
18:54hi hi is that um is that justine hi justine um it's it's hannah from the environment agency
19:04listen it's about the um the pollution event at hawk rise um it came through the system
19:10at a duration of 1.34 hours and and i'm here now and it's it's still going
19:19yeah yeah i'm yeah i'm here now yeah the cso's still discharging untreated sewage i mean there's
19:27there's a section of the river that is covered over with dried sewage i mean there's dead fish
19:32you can see them from the footpath i mean you're going to get more complaints you need to sort this
19:42can you prepare and cook a simple meal unaided yeah but not when i'm having an attack
19:51then i can't do anything i can't i can't move can you eat and drink unaided yeah but again
19:58not when i'm having an attack and i've been getting the attacks every few days for the past six months
20:05but if if you're not having one of your attacks can you eat and drink unaided yeah but yes or
20:10no is fine
20:12yes
20:15can you dress and undress unaided
20:20it's the same answer moving on to the mobility section of this assessment
20:25can you plan and follow a journey unaided
20:30yeah but not when i'm having an attack
20:32stand and move for 200 meters
20:37not when i'm having an attack
20:38well you know can you move around walk for 200 meters
20:42of course i can but not when i'm having an attack
20:44okay thank you mr santa your total score for the daily living part of the assessment is zero points
20:50your total score for the mobility section is zero points
20:54when you're not having an attack you're able to do all the tasks i asked you about
20:58that's that's the thing with my condition is that sometimes
21:01you can i can do these things and other times i can't and when i can't i can't
21:06i can't award you personal independence payment
21:08i don't know what to do
21:09if you need further guidance about how to appeal you can use the web chat to get some help
21:15if you cannot access the web chat you can contact the benefits appeal helpline on 0300
21:21160
21:31hannah
21:31sorry sorry i didn't mean to scare you
21:34um do you have a second can i have a word
21:36of course
21:37yeah okay so i've just i just got off the phone to justine wright phillips at the water company
21:42yeah
21:43yeah she said she said you called her
21:45yeah i yeah i did
21:48okay she said you called her from the site
21:51well i saw that it been logged on the system for the fifth time and people kept calling up
21:55complaining and nobody was doing anything about it so we don't have the revenue to be investigating
22:00category three
22:03it's not for category three sophie the river is dried over with excrement you can see it from
22:09that's that's what i wanted to talk to you about
22:11so justine says that the dispersal rate in that area is really high
22:15is it
22:16yeah she says she says there's like a strong current and a high dispersal
22:20the overflow pipe has been discharging for over 36 hours and it is still going
22:24all right that's untreated
22:25that is the water company's responsibility to report to us
22:29you know this
22:32okay and justine says that actually really the um because of the high dispersal rate
22:37that the the it should come down to a category four
22:41be a category four
22:42yes
22:43right
22:45so no impact on the environment
22:48no action needed
22:50yes
22:56oh you want me to change it on this
22:57would you could you
22:59yeah
23:00okay thanks so much thank you
23:02that's great
23:03lovely
23:12so you see how well we're doing
23:13yeah of course
23:14you're joking
23:15you're not joking
23:16you know stroik
23:19no what's that
23:21strategic review of incident charges
23:22yeah it's like what we charge the clients for permits
23:25so we don't have clients Cheryl
23:27we're an environment agency
23:29okay yes sorry yes
23:30we don't have clients
23:31but
23:32sir james
23:33has put the prices up yeah
23:35and i'm talking like up up
23:37big time
23:39well he's charging the water companies more
23:41yep
23:42well they must
23:43surely they've gone down to the government like
23:44lobbying them going mad jg
23:46and the charges are taken down
23:47no
23:48not a peep
23:49not a
23:50not a peep
23:51sorry they're just
23:52paying it
23:53we've basically had
23:55such a high
23:56revenue spike
23:57yeah
23:57that we
23:59are on our way
24:00to becoming a client
24:02funded
24:03regulator
24:03sorry
24:04hold on one minute
24:05this is going a bit
24:06so you're
24:07saying that
24:08the water companies
24:10are funding
24:10the environment agency
24:12that's what you're
24:13really
24:14you see the issues there
24:16you can't be serious
24:17a client
24:19funded
24:21regulator
24:22amazing isn't it
24:22how can that even be a thing
24:25it's a thing
24:26well hold on
24:26because literally
24:27the other day
24:29sir james said
24:30that you get the regulation
24:31that you pay for
24:32yeah
24:32that we haven't got the money
24:34to do the investigations
24:35that we used to do
24:36we're not
24:37nobody's paying for them
24:38okay
24:38that's your
24:39area isn't it
24:40i mean
24:41all i know
24:42is that
24:43we have got more cash
24:44than we've ever had before
24:47just making conversation
24:51i've got the job
24:52postman
24:53no
24:54did you
24:55yeah
24:55oh god
24:57yeah really
24:58good
24:59timing
25:00uh-huh
25:01because
25:01i did
25:02two pregnancy tests
25:04this morning
25:05what
25:06and yeah
25:07i'm pregnant
25:08what
25:09yeah
25:09pregnant
25:10no
25:11yeah
25:11yeah
25:12i sort of just had a funny feeling
25:14and then
25:15yeah
25:16did
25:16one test
25:17two lines
25:18and then i did another
25:19test and it said two lines
25:21and so on i was like
25:23fuck
25:32i'm susan davey
25:35i am the ceo of southwest water
25:37basically the wet weather events
25:39overflow
25:40put a strain on our victorian networks
25:42and unfortunately we have a victorian sewage system which we have inherited
25:48and that means things do go wrong
25:51just say victorian sewage network
25:53twelve percent
25:54twelve twelve percent
25:56what's twelve percent
25:57twelve percent of the sewage system is victorian
26:00what do they tell you
26:02that the whole of the system was victorian
26:05so that meant that the investment would be so high
26:08that it'd be impossible to to actually fix it all
26:11bollocks
26:12shall i tell you what stopped it
26:14when privatization came in
26:16they just stopped spending
26:17after the war they kept upgrading
26:19then after privatization came in
26:21they just stopped
26:23not just thames
26:24all of them
26:26six percent new plants is privatization
26:29six percent
26:30six percent
26:31is that all
26:31you know it'd be good
26:32if we could maybe come and
26:34visit one of the works
26:35i don't know about that
26:36well
26:36i'll have to see
26:37lads honestly
26:38because i
26:39even just doing this
26:40i feel a bit nervous
26:42fucking london stadium
26:43that's not a proper stadium
26:44fucking massive
26:45upton park
26:46now that was a proper stadium
26:48mate
26:48london stadium's too big
26:49you need fucking binoculars
26:50do you know what i mean
26:51yeah
26:52sorry pete did you want to see an edm
26:54oh yes
26:54yes that's that
26:55well remembered
26:56so this is an event duration monitor
26:59now we fitted one of these on every sewage pipe in england
27:03in 2012
27:04right the coalition government
27:06they ordered all the water companies
27:07to record how much time they spend dumping raw sewage
27:12these little units
27:13they measure how much poo goes into the river by hours
27:15management have been dragging their feet for eight years now
27:19but we're finally getting most of it in now
27:22and the agency they they put publish the numbers
27:24they have to by law
27:26they're not going to like it but tough shit
27:30edm's
27:32yes
27:35so
27:36we are finalizing plans
27:38for the statutory publication of the edm numbers
27:44as you know there have been some technical delays
27:48but it looks like they're almost ready
27:52and they're going to come as a bit of a shock
27:57the data is going to show that the water companies discharged raw sewage
28:03400,000 times in 2020
28:06that's
28:071100 times a day
28:10for a total of
28:123.1 million hours
28:16it's a bit of a shocker
28:18can i just say that um
28:20since operator self-monitoring
28:23we've had to rely on the water companies to report back to us
28:26yeah i think that the key here is that this doesn't get framed
28:30as a failure of regulation
28:32that is
28:33that is
28:33that would be quite wrong
28:35and uh and i think managing comms on this is going to be key
28:38and we are working actively with the water companies to uh to to bear down on the problem
28:46yeah
28:46and uh
28:47but that's 1100 criminal offenses a day
28:50well that's actually that's debatable because that depends on the terms of the permit
28:54and the circumstances around each spill
28:57yeah and we know the legislation permits discharging after heavy rainfall
29:01and so
29:02no no it doesn't
29:03sorry hannah
29:04the law doesn't say that you can just dump sewage after heavy rain
29:09it says that in all normal climatic and seasonal circumstances
29:12the water companies have to treat the sewage
29:16not just dump it
29:17it's not the agency's job to adjudicate legal matters
29:20i mean this is actually a matter for the courts
29:22no no no this is this is our job
29:25it's our job to enforce the law
29:28yeah
29:28that's what we're here to do
29:35can you um
29:36you
29:37did you want to
29:37no no you you finish off here
29:39sophie
29:41thank you
29:43so we've identified the problem and now we work on the problem
29:45which is reframing and owning the narrative
29:48yeah we we don't want this to get misconstrued as some sort of failure on our part
29:51because it just isn't thanks
29:52thanks so much
29:54thanks
29:56cool
29:57lovely
29:57thanks so much
29:59by the way um
30:01so
30:03i've heard you're going to give evidence in parliament
30:04yes
30:05yes
30:06amazing
30:07yeah i think you're bad
30:09what does that mean thinking about it
30:11he's uh
30:11he's nervous
30:12not that i'm not nervous
30:14he's nervous
30:14no it's not that i'm nervous
30:16i want to do it
30:17it's just
30:18it's difficult
30:19don't worry about it
30:20i'll do
30:20yeah
30:21we're counting on you
30:22we are really counting on you
30:23and you can explain it in this scientific way
30:25you're going to come across brilliantly
30:26they're going to believe you mate
30:27well it
30:29it's it's not really as simple as that
30:31i mean
30:32the boys from ogden called me earlier
30:33right
30:34they told me that they dumped
30:35two billion litres of sewage in the thames
30:38over two days
30:40environment agency haven't got a scooby
30:42did they send you the data
30:43i've got the data
30:44right
30:44can you send that to us
30:45i will send it to you
30:46we're not going to let you down
30:47make sense
30:48please
30:49you can do this
30:49come on pete
30:52you're a legend mate
30:52come on
31:03we now have the lowest number of serious pollution incidents from water companies that we have yet recorded
31:11more water companies are now at the highest level of performance what we call four star performance
31:19i mean we now have the lowest number of serious pollution incidents from water companies that we have yet recorded
31:25yes and thank you for that thing that we have yet to do this
31:38thank you for that
31:44thank you for that
31:55I'm an officer at the agency. I investigate sewage pollution.
32:01When I first joined, it wasn't a job to get rich on.
32:07I could see I was making a difference.
32:12Corporations want to make money.
32:14We make sure that they don't poison the rivers doing it.
32:16We could investigate, prosecute, whatever it took.
32:22But then they told the companies that they could regulate themselves.
32:27That's a praise of self-monitoring.
32:29Exactly.
32:31Then came the Cameron cuts, then the trust cuts.
32:35They laid off investigators, slashed prosecutions.
32:39I mean, they even took our cars off of us so we couldn't visit pollution sites.
32:42So all these cuts meant you couldn't do your job properly?
32:46That's not it.
32:49In 2021, Sir James hiked the prices the water companies paid for their permits.
32:55It was called charge-funded regulation.
32:58We get 96 million from the government.
33:01We are now pulling in 411 million from charges.
33:06All these cuts, they're just a smokescreen.
33:10We're swimming in cash.
33:13I am doing this because I know that it is wrong.
33:16And it has ruined my whole working life.
33:23Good luck.
33:36Right.
33:40Fucking hell.
33:42What should we do?
33:43Well, first we read them.
33:46And then I think we should call some journalists.
33:50The Environment Agency has refused to comment on whether agency directors currently hold shares in UK water companies.
33:58The agency claimed it would break data protection laws if it disclosed the information.
34:03Environment Agency chiefs secretly held a series of private dinners with water company bosses at the Royal Automobile Club in
34:11central London.
34:11Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act showed the meetings were held to discuss how to quell public anger
34:18over sewage space.
34:19As the sewage scandal deepens, Environment Agency CEO Sir James Bevan has been called to give evidence to a parliamentary
34:26committee.
34:27Well, we need to talk about what we say in public and the responsibilities we have.
34:33You have a duty not to openly criticise or discredit the organisation in the media or on social media.
34:43Or to disclose confidential information to anyone not authorised to receive it.
34:51If your comments, inside or outside work, impact on the agency's reputation by making derogatory comments about the organisation or
34:59your managers,
35:00or you make comments that bring the organisation into disrepute,
35:04you may be subject to disciplinary action.
35:08And in more serious cases, dismissal.
35:28I don't think I want to do this.
35:30You'll be fine.
35:32Need the toilet?
35:34I'm alright.
35:35I need a bloody toilet.
35:37Do you want a pie?
35:38What does that mean?
35:43Well, my garden is an island which the Windrush wraps around.
35:52I've watched it closely for 18 years and I watched the water turn brown.
35:58I led a team of scientists using a machine learning analysis of two sewage treatment works run by Tent Walter.
36:07One of those works, the Environment Agency said, over 10 years, only two pollution incidents have been reported.
36:17Our machine learning analysis showed hundreds of illegal spills.
36:25More than 300 lasted 24 hours.
36:29And some longer than 10 days.
36:34And some for a month.
36:37Have you shown this evidence to the Environment Agency?
36:40Well, yeah, I've shown the evidence many times.
36:44What usually happens is that they say that they show a sign of interest, but then nothing happens.
36:54Because we work very closely with Professor Hammond of Windrush against sewage pollution.
37:01We have a regular and very fruitful dialogue with him.
37:05You've worked closely with Professor Hammond?
37:09He and Ashley Smith sent you at least 13 emails detailing evidence of illegal sewage dumping.
37:17He published five evidence reports documenting water company criminality, all of which were sent to you or your senior colleagues.
37:26They invited you to come and look at the river in 2019, and the following year sent you an email
37:34with the heading Environment Agency Complicit in Law Breaking.
37:45They never heard back.
37:46You never once replied in five years.
37:51How did you manage to work so closely with Professor Hammond when you never once spoke to him?
37:55At the Thames Water Modern Treatment Works, there was a spill of 240 Olympic swimming pools of sewage in a
38:07single day.
38:08The existing monitoring failed to pick that up.
38:11Now, why was that?
38:13There will always be times when something happens, usually accidentally.
38:18But if we find that a water company has breached its permit, we will take appropriate action.
38:26Does appropriate action include prosecuting water company executives?
38:30Prosecution is a very high bar, but where we think that's appropriate, we wouldn't hesitate.
38:38Did you prosecute in this case?
38:40No.
38:42Have you ever prosecuted any water company executives?
38:45Perhaps, no, but if we thought the evidence warranted it, we wouldn't hesitate.
38:52Last year, you told this committee that you became aware of sewage dumping in May 2021.
38:58Yes.
38:59But three weeks after that, you told the committee that the water companies were improving,
39:04and that more of them were getting four out of four stars.
39:08Why were you telling the committee that the water companies were doing a four-star job?
39:15Well, you've quoted everything I said.
39:19I think I stand by everything I said.
39:23I think you'll find them mutually consistent.
39:28The agency's job is to make sure the water companies obey the criminal law, but it doesn't do it,
39:35and the water companies do whatever they want.
39:37The alleged crimes of their directors are never prosecuted.
39:43They've built criminality into their business models because pollution is highly profitable and repeat offending has no consequences.
39:52Therefore, in the light of the remarkable absence of any counter-corruption measures,
39:58we demand an investigation into the environment agency.
40:05The key test for me on regulation.
40:07Less regulation.
40:08Is it something that enables the builders, not the blockers?
40:11Cut guidance by 80%.
40:13We've also got to look at regulation.
40:15Regulations will go.
40:17And where it is needlessly holding back the investment.
40:19Reduce the amount and the burden of regulation.
40:22Rip up the bureaucracy that blocks investment.
40:24Northumbria and Morton recorded 30.1 spills per overflow over the course of 2023.
40:30280,000 hours and change in total.
40:35The chief executive, Heidi Mottram, received a bonus of Ā£234,000 that year.
40:43Why did you take for all tickets from the parent company?
40:47Well, I didn't.
40:49Okay.
40:49C.K. Hutchins Holdings owns 75% of Chung Kong Infrastructure Holdings, the owner of Northumbrian Water.
40:56And you declared Ā£2,000 in football tickets and hospitality.
40:59Well, on that occasion, there was nobody from a water company that was involved in offering those tickets.
41:05There was nobody from a water company at that event.
41:08Well, I wouldn't have known that.
41:10Why didn't you know you should have known that?
41:11You said that these sort of people should potentially be in the dock if they have been found to break
41:16the rules.
41:17Because you took Ā£2,000 in tickets and hospitality for a football match from bosses linked to that company that
41:23polluted that water.
41:25Why should people in Northumbria think that you're fit for your job?
41:28Well, I certainly wouldn't have known that.
41:29And judge me by what I did.
41:29Why not?
41:30Judge me by what I did.
41:31No, no, that is what you did.
41:44Environment Minister Steve Reid is pursuing legal action against a group of anglers trying to restore the ecosystem of their
41:52local river.
41:59Concerns are being raised about the number of leading labour figures with links to lobbying firms working for water companies.
42:05Among the invited guests at the government's international investment summit was Macquarie Bank.
42:10Described as the vampire kangaroo by critics, Macquarie presided over the near collapse of Thames Water, leaving it Ā£10 billion
42:18in debt after having illegally dumped billions of litres of raw sewage.
42:47I know I can't be left alone with her.
42:54Privatised water is a better deal than nationalised water.
42:59That the water privatisation, I believe, will go very successfully indeed.
43:04That will go very successfully indeed.
43:07And perhaps therefore we have better wait and see so that we can contemplate in the light of the fact.
43:13How did it come to this?
43:16How did it happen that England is the only place in the whole world whose water system is wholly privatised?
43:29That our seas and our rivers are full of shite?
43:35I just feel like we're trying to bring down England's biggest organised crime syndicate.
43:43I mean, they're not the mafia, these water companies.
43:47They're not a drugs cartel, but they do dump sewage a thousand times a day.
43:53And almost all of those are illegal.
43:55And the cash they've accumulated, Ā£145 billion since privatisation.
44:04And they've got that because they seem to have built criminality into their business models.
44:11So they are like an organised crime syndicate.
44:16And the CEOs and the owners are like crime bosses.
44:21I mean, they don't murder people, obviously.
44:24They're not assassins.
44:28But me and Peter are sitting here waiting for these crime lords to put things right.
44:36And if we leave them to their own devices, they never will.
44:43They never will.
44:45We've put the things that we own and care about together.
44:51We've put them into the hands of financial speculators whose job it is, is just to make money.
44:58We need to put the people who care in charge.
45:29Thank you so much.
45:44Thank you so much.
46:16Thank you so much.
46:38Thank you so much.
47:14Thank you so much.
47:41Thank you so much.
48:15Thank you so much.
48:35Thank you so much.
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