When married mother-of-five Sarah Bentley took on the top job at Thames Water, she vowed to clean up the act of the sewage-spewing firm.
In one of her first acts as Thames’ chief executive, she pledged the supplier would play its part in tackling chalk stream pollution.
Speaking to campaigners at an online summit at the end of 2020 little more than two months into her role, Mrs Bentley joined other water firm chiefs in promising to pump millions of pounds into dealing with the problem.
‘Chalk streams are a breathtaking and an invaluable part of our natural heritage and I’m absolutely committed to ensuring we’ll play our part in restoring these iconic water bodies to their former glory,’ she declared.
But little more than a year after this pledge, Britain’s biggest water supplier found itself being chastised for allowing half a million gallons of raw sewage to cascade into a river for 30 hours, in an ecological disaster that wiped out 3,000 fish.
Mother-of-five Sarah Bentley (pictured) took on the role of Thames Water chief executive in September 2020
Granted, this incident was before Bentley became the company’s chief – it happened in 2016 and came to court five years later, where the firm was fined £4million. However, it was far from an isolated issue; Thames racked up £32million in fines between 2017 and 2021 for similar offences.
During Mrs Bentley’s time at the helm, Thames lurched from one crisis to the next. Now, the firm is on the brink of collapse amid claims it is a whopping £14billion – prompting ministers to draw up emergency plans it if does fold.
But Mrs Bentley dramatically quit as Thames Water’s boss on Tuesday
Last year alone, Thames reportedly discharged sewage 8,014 times – with outflows lasting for 74,693 hours across 378 locations, according to data compiled by website Top of the Poops. On average, the firm spilled sewage 22 times a day.
And with all this bubbling on behind the scenes, Mrs Bentley dramatically quit from her role on Tuesday with immediate effect, in a move observers warned had worsened the ‘perilous situation’ facing Britain’s biggest water group.
Bowing out, the departing chief said it had been an ‘honour’ and ‘privilege’ to run the company as she insisted the ‘foundations’ had been laid to turnaround the under-fire firm’s fortunes.
But no explanation was given for her shock departure that came exactly a week after Thames discharged sewage into Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, with dead fish being pictured floating in the river following the release.
Gary Carter, national officer at the GMB trade union, said: ‘Sarah Bentley’s resignation highlights what a perilous situation Thames Water is in.’
Mrs Bentley’s shock departure came exactly a week after Thames Water reportedly discharged sewage into Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. Picutred is a dead fish in the river after the release
Campaigners have been demanding for an overhaul to Britain’s water suppliers following thousands of sewage leaks nationwide into the UK’s rivers and seas. Pictured: protesters on June 20, 2023 at Henley-on-Thames
It’s the latest sorry chapter for Thames, which serves about 15 million customers across London and the southeast of England, which has been slated for its poor record on leaks, sewage contamination, executive pay and the amount dished out to shareholders in dividends.
The company was slammed for paying out more than £2.7billion in dividends, while it plunged about £2.2bn further into debt. This all came amid criticism it was not spending enough on improving its infrastructure and plugging more sewage leaks.
Meanwhile, Mrs Bentley was reportedly paid £2million in 2022 – more than 10 times the salary of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who earns £164,951 a year.
In May, the University of Kent-educated mother-of-five joined other water firm bosses in promising to give up her 2022-23 bonus amid fierce criticism of the sector.
And despite forgoing the payment, Mrs Bentley still reportedly raked in £1.6million in earning for the past year.
She also received £548,000 in connection with a ‘golden hello’ package of shares and bonuses granted when Thames poached her from rival Severn Trent.
And she received a bonus of £178,000 connected to the company’s performance during her first two years in charge.
During her time with Thames, Mrs Bentley was reportedly paid £2million in 2022 – more than 10 times the salary of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who earns £164,951 a year
The mammoth pay packet attracted harsh condemnation from the GMB trade union, with national officer Gary Carter branding Bentley’s announcement that she would not take a bonus as ‘nothing more than a flimsy PR stunt’.
And as shareholders and top executives, Thames Water faced mounting criticism over how it was tackling water pollution.
Last year, regulator Ofwat fined it £51million. And between 2017 and 2021 it was hit with a total of £32million penalties for water pollution.
The fallout of one such incident in 2016 was heard by a court in November 2021, more than a year after Mrs Bentley became chief executive.
Half a million gallons of raw sewage oozed into Seacourt and Hinksey streams in Oxford for 30 hours before action was taken.
The Environment Agency said the discharge was ‘responsible for the deaths of up to 3,000 fish’.
Describing the carnage, Robert Davis, an Environment Agency senior officer who went to the scene in Oxford, said: ‘It was quite horrific. Sewage pollution was bank to bank and there was a foul stench of raw sewage.
‘When we traced the source we found a waterfall of raw sewage discharging via a pipe into the streams. Amongst the dead fish, Fisheries officers observed hundreds more on the surface, suffering and gasping for oxygen.’
Pictured: A photo released by the Environment Agency showing one of the streams that was polluted by raw sewage in 2016
Thames has since announced it will be pumping in £1.6billion into improving its sewage treatment works and networks in an effort to try and halve discharges by 2030.
However, ministers are now considering whether or not to renationalise the company amid its gigantic debt pile.
This morning, the firm said it is working ‘constructively’ with shareholders to secure new funding needed to support its turnaround.
Meanwhile, struggling Brit households were hit with the warning that water bills will need to rise 40 per cent to meet the cost of pollution costs.
Water price hikes, to be announced next year, could see annual bills rise from £450 to £680.
Under a process run by water regulator Ofwat, England’s water firms have been asked to submit plans by October to tackle pollution from sewage, which include improving storm overflows discharging in or near designated bathing spots and improving 75 per cent of overflows discharging to high-priority nature sites.
Industry commentators have since called for whoever took the helm of Thames Water to do more to tackle the issue of sewage being discharged into the waterways.
‘It doesn’t matter much who the chief executive of Thames Water is, it’s the system that is rotten to the core,’ said the clean water campaign group Henley Mermaids.
‘Whoever takes over will likely be paid a fortune – while it’s us bill payers who will be expected to fund upgrades to Thames Water’s infrastructure.
‘We’ll be the ones swimming in rivers flowing with sewage and will live with hosepipe bans while Thames loses a third of its water to its own leaks. The whole system needs to change.’
Thames Water has said it is working ‘constructively with its shareholders’ in relation to further funding needed for its turnaround amid reports over financial uncertainty at the water supplier.
In a statement, the company said: ‘As envisaged in June 2022, Thames Water received the expected £500 million of new funding from its shareholders in March 2023 and is continuing to work constructively with its shareholders in relation to the further equity funding expected to be required to support Thames Water’s turnaround and investment plans.
‘Ofwat is being kept fully informed on progress of the company’s turnaround and engagement with shareholders.
‘Thames Water remains focused on delivering for its customers, the environment and stakeholders.
‘Thames Water continues to maintain a strong liquidity position, including £4.4 billion of cash and committed funding, as at March 31 2023.’
