Thames Water may avoid paying a £104m fine for historic sewage spills as the regulator Ofwat is leaving the door open to negotiation with the firm, i understands.
Ofwat has handed out fines totalling £168m to three English water companies as part of its ongoing investigation into persistent sewage dumping and environmental pollution.
Thames Water has been handed out the largest fine (£104m), followed by Yorkshire Water (£47m) and Northumbrian Water (£17m).
After a brief roar, OFWAT lets out a little mew and rolls over to have its tummy ticked by corporate interests.