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Water Companies: Sewage Discharge — [Ian Paisley in the Chair]
15 November 2021
Lead MP
Tonia Antoniazzi
Gower
Lab
Responding Minister
Rebecca Pow
Tags
EconomyClimateAgriculture & Rural Affairs
Word Count: 13980
Other Contributors: 14
At a Glance
Tonia Antoniazzi raised concerns about water companies: sewage discharge — [ian paisley in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The speaker asks the Government to eliminate sewage discharges from storm overflows and introduce measures to improve accountability for water companies. She calls for a fully funded action plan with targets and consequences when rules are broken, including increased environmental reporting requirements for quarterly updates.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The speaker is concerned about the legal discharge of raw sewage by water companies into rivers and streams. She mentions that 39 million tonnes of sewage were discharged into the River Thames alone in 2019, and over 400,000 discharges occurred last year. Not a single river in England meets good ecological standards. The Environment Agency's funding has been slashed by 63% since 2010, reducing its ability to monitor water quality.
Gareth Thomas
Lab Co-op
Harrow West
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.
Grahame Morris
Lab
Easington
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
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
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.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
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.
Kerry McCarthy
Lab
Bristol East
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.
Luke Pollard
Lab Co-op
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
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.
Maria Miller
Con
Basingstoke
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.
Philip Dunne
Con
Worcestershire South
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.
Salford
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.
Robbie Moore
Con
Keighley and Ilkley
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.
Roger Gale
Con
Herne Bay and Sandwich
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.
Rosie Duffield
Ind
Canterbury
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.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
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.
Government Response
Rebecca Pow
Government Response
I thank all hon. Members for their contributions and address the misinformation spread during the debate on sewage discharge by water companies. The Government prioritises water quality through the Environment Act, which will reduce harm from storm overflows. I establish a taskforce to inform us on these issues and recognise that eliminating storm overflows completely would cost between £350 billion and £600 billion. Water companies are investing an additional £144 million in storm overflow facilities by 2025, alongside their existing £3 billion investment in the environment. Ofwat is directed to set strategic policy statements to reduce sewage discharge harm from overflows progressively. The Environment Act mandates statutory requirements for water companies and includes a page of duties, plans, monitoring, and data collection crucial for tackling these issues. Every water company now must produce a sewage management plan. I read the Riot Act to water companies last week about the need for them to do better or face enforcement action under the EA, regulator, Government power in the Environment Act, and through the Office for Environmental Protection.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.