WATER firm United Utilities was accused of “corporate greed in plain sight” yesterday after revealing plans to award its chief executive a shares “allowance” worth £435,000 a year.

Activists with River Action demanded the government rein in the private water firm after it looked to bypass an Ofwat ruling to pay the huge amount to its chief executive Louise Beardmore.

The payout would be considered a separate payment from Ms Beardmore’s existing bonus, which was blocked by the regulator in their bid to punish six water bosses for serious incidents.

She was denied a £417,000 payout for the 2024-25 period after a release valve test at a reservoir killed thousands of fish.

Campaigners said the so-called allowance raised questions over the efficacy of new powers given to Ofwat last year, which had allowed them to block bonuses in the first place.

River Action chief executive James Wallace branded the move “corporate greed in plain sight.”

He said: “Pollute for profit should lead to punishment, not rewards. Calling a £435,000 bonus an ‘allowance’ fools nobody.

“The era of obscene executive payouts must end, with real personal sanctions, including custodial sentences for the worst offenders.”

River Action has called United Utilities one of England’s worst sewage polluters.

The company discharged untreated sewage for almost 61,000 hours in 2025, it said, representing the highest total of any water company in England.

River Action said this case showed that “regulation alone” was failing to tackle the deep-rooted issues caused by privatisation, proving how easy it is for companies to “sidestep attempts to curb excessive executive rewards.”

Mr Wallace said he welcomed signs that PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham could push for greater public control of our water firms.

He said: “Whether it’s Thames Water contaminating the River Thames, or United Utilities finding new ways to reward executives while polluting England’s rivers and lakes, the evidence is overwhelming.

“The privatised water model is broken. Customers are paying more, rivers are paying the price, and executives and investors continue to cash in.”

United Utilities’s recent annual report showed Ms Beardmore could receive the first tranche of “allowance,” paid in shares, as of August, with the second instalment in February 2027.

The report also showed that Ms Beardmore and chief financial officer Phil Aspin’s annual salaries were hiked by a fifth to £870,000 and £560,000 respectively in July last year.