Much has been incorrectly said over the past six months about Sewage by the media and other political parties.
But, has anyone really looked into the facts?
Conservative MPs voted to amend plans, not block them – removing sections which would mean massive bills for struggling families while keeping requirements for plans to reduce sewage discharges.
Conservative MPs changed the amendment to remove the sections requiring companies to take ‘all reasonable steps’ – which could cost households more than to £25,000 each, but supported requirements for new plans
Independent research estimates that the complete elimination of sewage discharges through storm overflows in England is likely to cost between approximately £350 billion and £600 billion.
The Conservatives are tackling the problem of sewage in rivers with tough and effective new measures:
Requiring water companies to produce comprehensive plans to cut down on sewage discharges. A new legal duty on water companies to produce comprehensive statutory Drainage and Sewerage Management Plans, setting out how they will manage and develop their drainage and sewerage.
Creating new powers to direct water companies that fail to take action on sewage discharges, which the government will not hesitate to use.
The Environment Act creates a power of direction for the government to direct water companies in relation to the actions in the Drainage and Sewerage Management Plans if they are not good enough.
Implementing new requirements on water companies to monitor water quality and publish data on storm overflows, so they can be held to account on sewage. Government has introduced new duties on water companies to monitor the water quality upstream and downstream of storm overflows and sewage disposal works, as well as requiring them to publish near real time information on the operation of storm overflows.
Prosecuting water companies that illegally pollute our rivers, making clear that polluters will pay for damage to our environment.
Since 2015 the Environment Agency has brought 48 prosecutions against water companies, securing fines of over £137 million. Some of the biggest fines were imposed last year – including a record £90 million fine for Southern Water in July for thousands of illegal discharges. Incentivising water companies to invest more than £7 billion on environmental improvements, creating the new infrastructure needed to stop discharges.
For the first time Government are requiring Ofwat, to incentivise water companies to invest to significantly reduce the use of storm overflows – these changes mean that between 2020 and 2025, water companies will invest £7.1 billion on environmental improvements in England, including £3.1 billion on storm overflow improvements alone.
