Key Figures in the UK Sewage Crisis: Where Are They Now?
Water firms have faced intense scrutiny for their handling of the sewage crisis, with public anger fueled by Channel 4's drama Dirty Business. Recent events, such as South West Water pleading guilty to supplying unfit water and South East Water being fined £22.5 million for supply failures affecting over 280,000 people, have kept the issue in the spotlight. Over the past six years, as the full scale of sewage pollution has been revealed, key figures from regulators and privatised companies have been heavily criticised. This article examines what some of the main players are doing today.
James Bevan
Sir James Bevan served as chief executive of the Environment Agency from 2015 until March 2023. He faced criticism for failing to police water companies, reducing monitoring, and attempting to weaken regulations amid growing public outcry over river pollution. Bevan defended the system of operator self-monitoring, where companies report their own pollution, a practice the Labour government is now ending. In February 2025, he was appointed a non-executive director of Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water), a not-for-profit company, which praised his experience in environmental regulation.
David Black
David Black was chief executive of Ofwat from April 2022 to 2025, having joined in 2012. During his tenure, water companies increased their debt burdens, used offshore structures to minimise taxes, and paid high dividends while neglecting infrastructure. He left Ofwat in August 2025 after the government decided to replace the regulator. Black is scheduled to speak at the Weekend of Mistakes Festival 2026 in Hay-on-Wye, discussing what went wrong with the UK's water industry and potential fixes at a £150-a-ticket event.
Richard Aylard
Richard Aylard, a retired Royal Navy officer, joined Thames Water in 2002 and has served in roles including corporate responsibility director and external affairs director. He has been at the forefront of public anger over sewage pollution and water outages in south-east England. Aylard remains at Thames Water as a director and special adviser to the chief executive, acting as a primary spokesperson on environmental performance and investment plans for sewage infrastructure.
Matthew Wright
Matthew Wright was chief executive of Southern Water from 2011 to 2016, during which the company illegally discharged billions of litres of raw sewage into protected waters. In 2020, Southern Water was fined a record £90 million for these offences, with Ofwat imposing a £126 million penalty in 2019. Wright, who earned over £5 million during his tenure, left in 2016 and later worked at Ørsted, National Grid ESO, and Exagen Group until February 2024. He admitted the offences occurred "partly on my watch."
Susan Davy
Susan Davy served as chief executive of South West Water for five years and as chief financial officer until her retirement in December last year. Under her leadership, the company faced repeated sewage pollution issues and received a two-star environmental rating. In 2024, South West Water pleaded guilty to supplying unfit water to 2,500 households. Davy received an £803,000 pay package in her final year. Ofwat imposed a £24 million enforcement package on the company last summer for failures in managing wastewater treatment.
Nicola Shaw
Nicola Shaw, chief executive of Yorkshire Water, had her bonus banned under a 2025 Labour law targeting heads of companies worst for sewage dumping. Yorkshire Water was fined £47 million in 2024 for excessive spills from storm overflows. Despite the ban, Shaw received extra payments totalling £660,000 from the company's Jersey-registered parent, Kelda Holdings, in recent financial years.
Sarah Bentley
Sarah Bentley was chief executive of Thames Water from September 2020 to June 2023, promising an eight-year turnaround but leaving amid public outcry over sewage discharges. She forfeited her bonus for 2022-23 but received a £1.5 million pay package. Bentley did little to address Thames Water's nearly £20 billion debt or reduce pollution. Ofwat imposed a £104 million penalty on the company in June 2024 for routine sewage discharges.
David Henderson
David Henderson, chief executive of Water UK, worked with Ofwat to reduce fines and potential jail time for water company executives. A former Downing Street official and adviser to Gordon Brown, Henderson's role has been controversial in the context of the sewage crisis.
David Miliband
David Miliband was environment secretary in October 2006 when Macquarie's takeover of Thames Water was approved. Since 2013, he has served as president and chief executive of the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid organisation.
Regina Finn
Regina Finn was chair of Ofwat during the Macquarie deal, which led to heavy debt accumulation and dividend extraction at Thames Water. She now works as a director at Lucerna Partners, with Thames Water as a major client.
The sewage crisis continues to highlight systemic issues in the UK's water industry, with key figures moving on to new roles while the public demands accountability and reform.
