Water companies guilty of pollution face bonus bans from government as protesters campaign to clean up York’s rivers.
Ensuring no one profits from illegal water contamination, Ofwat has announced it will later define the criteria for the ban.
The ruling by the government comes just days after York residents and climate activists expressed their fury as the River Ouse is filled with pollution.
Protesters took to their campaign to the streets of York. Rowers and open water swimmers said they commonly saw dead fish and excrement in the river, provoking outrage.
Many groups known for their environmental stance walked in the protest, trying to urge water firms to reduce sewage spills.
“You don’t want to fend off other people’s excrement which lands on your blades,” said local rower on the Ouse, Ada Keding.
Yorkshire Water said they are trying to prevent storm overflow discharge, to improve the water.
The company explained that: “We have submitted plans to Ofwat for approval outlining a £1.3bn investment to reduce storm overflow discharges between 2025 and 2030.”