Angela Eagle, the environment secretary, has summoned water industry bosses to Whitehall after a report found that the environmental performance of the big companies has worsened despite investment.

“People are sick of excuses,” Dame Angela said, after the Environment Agency joined the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Natural Resources Wales and Ofwat for a joint report that rated eight of the nine water companies in England as “poor” or “requiring improvement”.

There were 74 serious pollution incidents, the category that causes significant harm to the environment, the report said. That was just one fewer than the previous year, despite billions of pounds of investment, bans on bosses’ bonuses and a public outcry. The watchdog’s environmental performance assessment ratings of water companies added up to 16 “stars” out of a possible 36, a fall from 19 the previous year, and the lowest score since the process began.