Water companies are polluting Britain's countryside even more than is admitted in Environment Agency (EA) data, a whistleblower has warned.Official figures released by the EA suggest the number of pollution incidents caused by Britain's water companies is 20 per cent lower than the real number, the Daily Mail can reveal.Data published by the agency showed some 2,801 water pollution incidents had been reported in 2024, an increase of 29 per cent on the year before, something it branded 'unacceptable'.But figures obtained under Freedom of Information legislation by whistleblower Robert Forrester show the original release missed out hundreds of pollution incidents, and didn't even include eight of England's water suppliers.In fact, some 3,513 incidents of pollution were recorded against water companies in England in 2024, meaning a fifth were not admitted in public data.The number of serious incidents, defined as bearing a significant or severe impact to the environment, also rose by 19 per cent from the reported 75 to 92.Mr Forrester said the discrepancies are partly due to incidents only later being included, or given the correct category of seriousness, following lengthy appeal investigations. But no update is published to reflect these cases.The EA's position is that its report – unlike the FOI – excludes land and air pollution incidents by water firms, meaning these incidents are not disclosed to the public. A sign at Margate Main Sands warning the public not to enter the beach after sewage was dumped by Southern Water