Robert Forrester, a former Environment Agency employee who leaked information about water companies dumping untreated sewage, has broken his silence following the broadcast of Channel 4's docu-drama Dirty Business. The series has sparked public outrage over the pollution of UK rivers and seas.
Forrester told The Times that the Environment Agency deliberately deprioritised water regulation. He recalled a 2017 incident where industrial waste spilled into a sewer, contaminating groundwater and a drinking water pipe. Residents were exposed to carcinogens at 1,000 times safe limits for two to three weeks, yet no action was taken.
After budget cuts in 2016, staff were allegedly discouraged from attending pollution incidents. Forrester began submitting freedom of information requests under a false name, revealing systemic failures. He was exposed as the source in 2021 and suspended, but reached a settlement before the drama aired.
The programme highlights the death of eight-year-old Heather Preen, who contracted E. coli after playing on a Devon beach in 1999. A petition calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take control of water companies has gained 170,000 signatures.
An Environment Agency spokesman said the depiction does not reflect recent changes, including increased inspections and tougher enforcement. The agency expects to conduct 10,000 inspections of water company assets this year.
