Untreated Sewage Discharge 2021-03-04
2021-03-04
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Water pollution from untreated sewage affects river health and usage for water sports. Thames Water spent over 1,100 hours discharging raw sewage into the River Lea in 2019.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that untreated sewage is not discharged into rivers and other inland waters?
Water companies are committed over the next five years to a £1.1 billion programme to improve the monitoring and management of sewage discharges. However, I have made it clear to water companies that more action is needed. That is why we have established the storm overflows taskforce which has agreed to set a long-term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not specify how or when the government will hold water companies accountable for discharging untreated sewage.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The River Lea, a popular waterway for sports and recreation in Enfield North constituency, suffers from severe pollution due to raw sewage discharge. Thames Water discharged over 1,100 hours of raw sewage into the river in 2019.
When will the Government finally hold water companies to account to protect our waterways properly?
The hon. Lady raises a very serious issue, and indeed the Department is taking it very seriously. As I said, water companies already spend £1.1 billion to improve their monitoring and discharging, but we have set up the taskforce to hold their feet to the fire to come up with measures for setting a long-term goal of eliminating sewage outlets.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide a specific timeline or concrete actions by water companies to address the River Lea's pollution.
Response accuracy