WaterAid UK’s latest trustee appointments include the boss of a water company responsible for multiple pollution incidents over the last decade, including being fined £500,000 last year after sewage leaks killed thousands of fish.

The sanitation, hygiene and safe drinking water charity’s latest trustee appointment list features Wessex Water chief executive Ruth Jefferson, who has worked for the firm since 2016, including stints as its general counsel before being appointed chief executive in October last year.

According to the Environment Agency (EA), Wessex Water caused a total of 28 serious pollution incidents between 2015 and 2023.

In one particular case to emerge a month after her appointment as CEO, Wessex Water was found negligent and ordered by Swindon Magistrates’ Court to pay a fine of £500,000 after pleading guilty to two charges relating to sewage leaks in Wiltshire and Somerset.

The company failed to report the incidents to the Environment Agency early enough and the leaks resulted in “nearly every fish within a kilometre being killed”, said the EA.

The company’s “ageing pipes” are a key concern of the EA as they are “presenting risk to people and the environment”.

District Judge Joanna Dickens said at the time that the company’s failures “undermines the regulatory regime” though she added that Wessex Water had since taken “considerable and expensive steps” to remedy the situation.

A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “These incidents seven years ago were caused by a burst sewerage pipe and a mechanical issue that both sadly resulted in fish dying. This shouldn't have happened and we're sorry.

“Once the problems were identified, we quickly took action to minimise environmental harm and carried out emergency repairs. Since these incidents took place, we have invested in AI technology to detect where potential issues on our network might occur to further protect the environment."

“We’re planning a step change in the maintenance of our sewerage network and, if approved by our regulators, are proposing to spend £300m in this area by 2030.”

WaterAid has defended Jefferson’s appointment.

“Our Trustees play a vital role in ensuring WaterAid works as a highly efficient and effective organisation to achieve our mission,” said the charity.

“They come from a variety of backgrounds and each with their own skills and expertise.

“Expertise that includes technical understanding of water infrastructure and systems change.

“Our trustees give up their time and energy for free, to help us make a bigger impact and bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.”

The charity added that “a full due diligence and recruitment process was followed”.

Jefferson said that joining the charity’s board “is both a privilege and a personal commitment”.

She added: “I hope to use my experience in water industry leadership to help drive lasting change and improve access to clean water for communities worldwide.”

The three other trustee appointments announced by Water Aid UK this week include Richard Morris, who is chief executive UK and EMEA of IPG Mediabrands, global public health expert Hind Khatib-Othman, and sanitation and development finance expert Osward M Chanda.

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