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Britain's water industry regulator is now investigating all water companies in England and Wales over sewage spills.
Ofwat announced on Tuesday that it has sent enforcement notices to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Severn Trent and United Utilities.
The regulator has already launched enforcement action against Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South West Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water, and extensive investigations are ongoing.
Southern Water remains subject to compliance monitoring following a previous compliance case in 2019.
The action is part of the organisation's research into how companies manage their wastewater treatment plants and networks.
David Black, chief executive of Ofwat, said: “The fact that Ofwat now has enforcement cases with all 11 wastewater companies in England and Wales shows how concerned we are about the environmental performance of the sector.
“This is the largest and most complex investigation Ofwat has ever undertaken.”
The latest four cases were opened after a detailed analysis of data on the companies' environmental performance and the frequency of stormwater spills.
Wastewater spills from water infrastructure have contributed to a situation where no river in England is considered to be in good overall health, and beauty spots such as Windermere in the Lake District have been polluted.
Storm surges, which release untreated sewage into rivers and oceans during heavy rainfall to prevent sewers from becoming overwhelmed, dumped wastewater into the environment 464,056 times and for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023.
Fines are imposed on companies that fail to comply with their legal obligations to protect the environment. Between early 2015 and July 2023, more than £150m was raised through 59 prosecutions for environmental crimes.
Mr Black said the regulator wanted to conclude the cases “as quickly as possible” so the industry could focus on spending £88bn as part of its latest plan to “achieve cleaner rivers and seas”.
Funding for the investment will come in part from an increase in household water bills, which have been capped at an average of £94 over a five-year period, rather than the £144 proposed by water companies.
United Utilities said in a statement: “We understand and share people’s concerns about the health of the environment and the operation of wastewater systems, including combined sewer overflows.”
Severn Trent said it was “committed to going further and faster than anyone else in the sector” in tackling sewage overflows.
Both firms said they would “work constructively” with Ofwat on its investigation.
