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Sewage Discharges — [Julie Elliott in the Chair]
12 October 2022
Lead MP
Huw Merriman
Bexhill and Battle
Con
Responding Minister
Trudy Harrison
Tags
EconomyTaxationAgriculture & Rural Affairs
Word Count: 14428
Other Contributors: 30
At a Glance
Huw Merriman raised concerns about sewage discharges — [julie elliott in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
I ask the Minister to be confident in discharge data accuracy, consider installing volume monitors on overflows as recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee, allow Ofwat to permit sewage companies to deliver their improvement plans earlier and to higher standards, test water quality at different times and places, ensure that testing accounts for latest pollutants like plastics, prioritise busy bathing areas with below-excellent or good status in storm overflow discharge reduction plan, consider giving highway authorities a statutory duty to act, implement SuDS rules preventing new developments from adding surface water to combined sewerage network, enable local planning authorities to justify further house building based on separate drainage systems establishment, and require householders to be informed if they have a combined sewer pipe.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
I am concerned about sewage discharges affecting Bexhill's beach, where nine out of the 16 days in September had pollution risk warnings. A fault at Galley Hill caused a discharge lasting two and a half hours on August 18th, with residents experiencing knee-high discharge during heavy rain leading to rat infestations and health issues. Our sewerage system is not fit for purpose, discharging sewage into seas and rivers, impacting marine life and public enjoyment. Over 370,000 spill events occurred last year.
Alan Brown
SNP
Cowdenbeath
Mr. Brown discussed the necessity of combined sewer overflows and highlighted the inefficiencies in England's water system due to privatisation, leading to high dividends paid out rather than reinvestment in infrastructure. He pointed out that Scotland's approach of public ownership has resulted in lower water bills and better compliance with environmental directives. Mr. Brown also raised concerns about the right-to-connect legislation for developers in England and Wales, which he argued undermines environmental improvements made by water companies. The right to connection issue needs investment as housing developers can overload sewers causing pollution, which is currently paid for by other billpayers rather than the developers.
Alex Chalk
Con
Cheltenham
Water companies have a special duty to act in the public interest, but too often they shield themselves from scrutiny or avoid paying taxes. Combined sewage overflows are not new and there are more per capita in other countries. Times have changed, and progress is required now. Severn Trent Water has given a cast-iron assurance that it will reduce overflows into the River Chelt by 85% by the end of 2024.
Alex Sobel
Lab Co-op
Leeds Central and Headingley
Congratulated the Chair on managing the debate, expressed concern over sewage discharges affecting coastal businesses, highlighted widespread media coverage of the issue, criticized government policies for being inadequate, called for mandatory monitoring to ensure compliance and accountability.
Anna Firth
Con
Southend West
She stated that Southend experienced 48 instances of sewage discharge for over 251 hours last year, costing residents £100 million annually due to blockages from non-flushable items. She called for mandatory clear labelling on wet wipes and other commonly flushed items.
South Cambridgeshire的许多美丽石灰岩溪流受到污水排放的影响。布朗建议Ofwat应将高级管理人员的奖金和股息支付与环境表现挂钩，如果水公司因非法污水排放而被罚款，则当年不应支付股息或奖金给高级经理。他还提到房屋建设增加导致污水排放增多的问题。
Caroline Ansell
Con
Eastbourne
She emphasised the need for an informed debate about coastal communities' water quality, highlighting that 95% of discharge is rainwater and Southern Water has redirected dividends back into the business since 2017. She expressed hope for extending bathing seasons all year round.
Gosport
Expressed concern over sewage pollution threatening the ecology of the Solent, and frustration with insufficiently ambitious timescales for storm overflow reduction. Called on the Minister to consider funding the Environment Agency year-round water quality checks.
Falmouth and Camborne
Cherilyn Mackrory highlighted the significant impact of sewage discharges on her constituency, especially in Falmouth where residents gathered to protest. She mentioned that one storm overflow discharged 355 times over nearly 7,500 hours in the River Fal, equating to a near continuous discharge for 312 days. Mackrory also reported witnessing raw sewage being squirted up into the air and onto the foreshore at Portloe during an overflow event.
Welcomed the Environment Act placing a legal duty on water companies to reduce sewage discharges and supported the increase in fines but stressed that changes need to be implemented quickly.
Fay Jones
Lab
St Helens North
The hon. Gentleman pointed out that the Environment Act 2021 does not apply to Wales, where his party is in government and where there is no equivalent legislation forcing Welsh Water Dŵr Cymru to act.
Fleur Anderson
Lab
Putney
370,000 discharges of untreated sewage occurred in English waters last year. Water companies need to fast-track storage设施建设以防止溢流。此外，她支持禁止塑料湿巾，并要求政府确认下一步措施、是否支持禁令以及何时实施。最后，安德森敦促部长采取更多行动并加快速度。
Gagan Mohindra
Con
South West Hertfordshire
He highlighted that 1,200 of his constituents signed a petition about sewage discharge issues, urging the Minister to put pressure on Ofwat and the Environment Agency to prioritise these concerns. He noted frequent legal sewage releases in his area.
North Cotswolds
British water bills are among the lowest in Europe, yet there is scope to increase them if we wish to clean up our rivers. The Environment Act 2021 should be implemented effectively, with more investment to stop storm discharges and address persistent sewage discharge issues. There needs to be sufficient resources for the Environment Agency to police and prosecute polluters.
Grahame Morris
Lab
Easington
There were 5,115 hours of sewage discharges in Easington alone during 2021. This persistent problem affects the east Durham heritage coast and its wild swimming community. There are more than 119 pollution alerts from three combined sewage outlets in the constituency.
Jeremy Hunt
Con
Godalming and Ash
South West Surrey去年发生了多起污水溢流事件，Hunt呼吁采取措施增加污水处理和雨水容量，测量磷酸盐水平，并禁止塑料湿巾使用。他还提到需要一个时间表来显示清洁河流的实质性进展。
John Hayes
Con
South Holland and The Deepings
My right hon. Friend the Member for Ludlow suggested that water companies should be statutory consultees in planning applications to prevent developments like those in Weston, my constituency, from overloading existing drainage systems.
Julie Elliott
Lab
Sunderland Central
As Chair, Julie Elliott emphasised the importance of adhering to a time limit for each speaker, aiming to accommodate everyone in the debate.
Critiqued the Government's storm overflows discharge reduction plan as not ambitious enough, citing criticisms from The Rivers Trust and highlighting public concern in coastal communities.
Maria Caulfield
Con
Lewes
The Environment Act was voted in, setting monitoring standards. £56 billion is being invested to change infrastructure, and record levels of fines are being imposed on water companies such as Southern Water which was fined over £90 million last year. The maximum fine has been increased to £250 million.
Meg Hillier
Lab Co-op
Hackney South and Shoreditch
The River Lea was classified as bad in 2019, failing on both chemical standards and ecological health. In 2021 there were 27 instances of sewage discharge into the river, totalling 184 hours. The amount of faecal E. coli bacteria regularly exceeds international standards. There are two key asks for the Minister: better sampling system covering more than just the May to September period and real-time data sharing with the Canal & River Trust.
Mick Whitley
Lab
Birkenhead
He criticised the water monopolies for treating rivers and coastal waters as open sewers, with over 1 million sewage spills recorded since 2016. He highlighted that more than 650 sewage spills were recorded in his constituency last year, dealing a blow to local efforts to improve water quality.
Navendu Mishra
Lab
Stockport
Only 14% of English rivers meet good ecological standards, and water companies discharged raw sewage into English waterways more than 1.2 million times between 2016 and 2021. In Stockport, there were 1,089 sewage spills for a total duration of 3,487 hours. The frequency of sewage discharges is causing havoc on the natural environment and public health issues.
Philip Dunne
Con
South Ribble
He agreed with the points made and called for reassurance that the Minister would ensure water quality target work dovetails with the Environment Act 2021. He also urged the implementation of necessary measures in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill to address issues highlighted by former Ministers.
Salford
In Salford, there have been numerous incidents of sewage discharge, such as a sewer storm overflow at Pomona docks that spilled 289 times in 2021 for a total of 1,733 hours. Years of underfunding and inaction mean that water companies can dump sewage into waterways without fear of being sued in civil court.
Rebecca Pow
Con
Taunton Deane
This Government put in place a comprehensive system for dealing with sewage through clauses in the Environment Act 2021 and set targets to reduce storm sewage overflows. Ofwat, the independent regulator, should use its tools better to reflect environmental improvement.
Ruth Cadbury
Lab
Brentford and Isleworth
Thames Water在2021年一年内向泰晤士河倾倒了超过20亿升未经处理的污水，其中包括45次从Mogden污水处理厂排放的情况。Cadbury批评政府在过去十年里未能投资基础设施建设，并指责保守党政府削减环境署的资金和支持工作，从而导致一系列问题。 The Minister was reminded that the Tideway project does not address sewage discharges from Mogden sewage works, which is the second largest in Greater London and possibly the country.
Sally-Ann Hart
Lab
Hastings and Rye
She expressed the frustration of residents in Hastings and Rye over sewage discharge issues, urging the government to work with stakeholders for local solutions and implement nature-based methods like swales and permeable paving.
Sarah Green
Lib Dem
Chesham and Amersham
The River Chess in Chesham and Amersham saw 175 discharges from Thames Water's treatment works in 2020-2021. Thames Water is expanding its capacity by 40% and replacing manhole covers to prevent future discharges, expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
Steve Double
Con
St Austell and Newquay
Nobody wants untreated sewage discharged into rivers and seas. The Government is addressing the issue through a deliverable plan with review dates to speed up delivery if possible. Speeding up planning reform could help water companies upgrade their sewerage systems.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Called for immediate action from water companies using their profits to invest in holding tanks, citing specific instances of legal sewage discharge in various locations across England.
Government Response
Trudy Harrison
Government Response
The Government committed £56 billion for infrastructure projects until 2050 as part of the storm overflows discharge reduction plan. Water companies must improve all storm overflows discharging into or near designated bathing waters by 2035 and 75% of those in high-priority nature sites, increasing to all remaining storm overflows by 2050. The Environment Agency will have its fine limit increased from £250,000 to £250 million for environmental pollution fines. Since privatisation, the water industry has invested over £30 billion in the environment and seen significant improvements, such as a reduction of serious incidents from over 500 per year in the 1990s to 62 in 2021.
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