Water Companies: Sewage Discharge — [Ian Paisley in the Chair]

Does my hon. Friend also think there should be a requirement on water companies to report that information to their consumers, perhaps in the form of formal consumer committees of each water company? The MP underlined the figure of 39 million tonnes of raw sewage dumped in the River Thames and highlighted the issues with privatisation, including a 40% real-terms hike in bills, £60 billion in payments to shareholders, and over £50 billion in debt. He argued against the idea that privatisation has improved performance and suggested the creation of water users consumer committees for each company to give consumers more power.

The MP raised concerns about the illegal dumping of raw sewage by privately owned water companies, citing a case where there were 40,000 discharges in England in 2020. He highlighted issues with self-reporting and called for stricter regulation to protect public health on the east Durham coast.

Helen Hayes spoke on behalf of the residents of Dulwich and West Norwood who signed a petition to ban raw sewage discharges. She highlighted issues with Thames Water's frequent unsanctioned discharges into rivers, underreporting by the Environment Agency, inadequate monitoring of harmful substances like microplastics and antibiotics, and poor pipe replacement workmanship. Asked the Minister to clarify that the petition was started more than six months ago, not in response to a social media campaign.

Mr Corbyn addressed the issue of raw sewage discharges into rivers, criticising the water companies for what he perceives as a deliberate cheaper alternative to proper treatment. He highlighted that £57 billion could have been used to improve infrastructure and stem leaks. Mr Corbyn also called for public ownership of the water industry with genuine community control.

She paid tribute to campaigners and highlighted that England has some of the worst river quality in Europe, with raw sewage dumped into rivers over 400,000 times last year. She raised concerns about a beaver colony threatened by raw sewage spills in Honiton and reported on issues at Conham River Park and Warleigh Weir near Bath.

Pollard acknowledged the strength of feeling in communities regarding river pollution, highlighting 400,000 discharges of raw sewage into rivers and seas last year. He criticised the current state of England's rivers, noting that not one meets good chemical standards. Pollard also pointed out the lack of urgency from the Government on this issue until public outrage compelled them to act. He supported the idea of empowering consumers with information about sewage discharge through interactive maps and urged for higher fines and investment in water infrastructure. Questioned the discrepancy between the cost of dealing with sewage discharge issues at £144 million versus the projected £660 billion, expressing doubt about how a smaller sum could effectively address such a significant problem.

The Government's Environment Act 2021 will help reduce water pollution, despite misinformation spread through social media. The Act creates a statutory duty to monitor and plan for the elimination of storm overflows within a year. Water companies will also be required to publish real-time storm overflow data annually. Does the hon. Gentleman regret some of the misinformation that drove fear and anxiety among constituents, particularly regarding the suggestion that the Environment Bill enabled raw sewage to be pumped into rivers and seas? The hon. Gentleman agrees with this.

In Weaver Vale, raw sewage was pumped into the River Weaver and the River Dane for 5,786 hours in 2020. This is damaging local wildlife and recreation activities. Constituents are calling for tougher regulation of utility companies like United Utilities and investment in waterways rather than shareholder profits.

Asked why it took five years for Thames Water to appear in court for a case that the Environment Agency deemed serious enough for prosecution, highlighting issues with enforcement speed. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to speak and highlighted the need for proper separation of surface and foul water systems in new developments, criticising the lack of capital contributions from developers towards infrastructure works. He also encouraged the Minister to adjust Ofwat's priorities to focus on keeping sewage out of rivers. In an intervention, Philip Dunne defended his remarks against accusations of supporting privatisation. He pointed out that the amount of capital investment by water companies in the 10 years before privatisation was half of what was invested post-privatisation.

Ms. Long-Bailey highlighted multiple sewer storm overflow incidents in Salford, noting that water companies dumped raw sewage into rivers and seas 400,000 times last year. She argued against the privatisation of the water industry since 1989, citing increasing water bills, large dividends paid to shareholders at the expense of infrastructure investment, and tax avoidance by some companies. She proposed bringing water into public ownership as a solution that could save money and be invested in environmental protection.

Mr. Moore praised the Government's actions on cleaning up rivers, particularly the Environment Bill which passed last week. He emphasized that Members have not voted to allow water companies to pump sewage into rivers but rather for legislation to clean them up further. The bill introduces new duties and powers over storm overflow management, data publication, real-time information sharing, and monitoring requirements. Additionally, he criticized Opposition members for making noise on the topic without voting for mechanisms or measures to address it.

Southern Water was fined £90 million for sewage discharge into the sea from 2010 to 2015. Beaches in east Kent were contaminated with raw sewage this summer, affecting tourism. Sewage discharge also affected inland chalk streams. The issue requires significant investment and collaboration among multiple government bodies and water companies.

Mrs Duffield spoke about the sewage discharges affecting Whitstable in her constituency, impacting tourism and daily life. She mentioned that Southern Water had been fined £90 million for thousands of illegal dumping incidents but argued that such penalties have not resulted in infrastructure upgrades. Mrs Duffield echoed other MPs' views on public ownership to ensure community health and wellbeing.

The MP highlighted the unacceptable sewage discharge issues in Cumbria, particularly at Windermere where United Utilities dumped raw sewage on 71 days last year. He pointed out that septic tanks contribute significantly to phosphate levels but are not properly regulated. He also criticised recent Government amendments for lacking concrete improvement timelines and volume references.