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Water company bosses have blamed UK Government inaction for a lack of progress in tackling sewage pollution, newly released letters show.
According to Environment Agency data, sewage was thrown into seas and rivers around the UK more than 770,000 times during 2020 and 2021 – the equivalent of almost 6m hours.
During his short tenure as environment secretary, Ranil Jayawardene demanded that every water company boss write to him with plans to reduce storm surges, where human waste is pumped into rivers and onto beaches.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs did not make the letters public until months later, when forced to do so under the Freedom of Information Act.
In the letters, water company chief executives made scathing comments about the government’s lack of action on the sewage scandal. They complained that the government had failed to bring in new laws as a cause of sewage disposal.
Water companies complained about two pieces of legislation in particular: rules for drainage systems on new developments passed in 2010, but not yet implemented in England (Wales implemented the measure in 2018), and a ban on wet wipes that are biodegradable. not A private member’s bill by Labor MP Fleur Anderson but the Conservative government ignored it.
Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, Tim Farrow, said: “It’s a dark day for the government when water companies are also blaming their inaction for the sewage crisis.
“No wonder the Department of Environment sat on these letters for so long, it’s a shame. They prove that successive Conservative ministers have buried their heads in the sand while Britain’s beaches are polluted with sewage.
“These are the same water company executives who paid humiliating bonuses worth millions of pounds, while destroying rivers and lakes. The government needs to work with them. Years of conservative anarchy have delayed dealing with this crisis. This is an environmental scandal that is unfortunately here to stay.”
Anglian Water CEO Peter Simpson said the government had not taken action to ensure homes were built sustainably with drainage systems in mind. “If water companies are made statutory advisors on the development of planning, not just local plans, and if Schedule 3 of the Floods and Water Management Act is enacted, our role in ensuring sustainable growth will be greatly enhanced.”
In addition, Simpson called for a ban on the sale of non-biodegradable wet wipes: “We also believe that the time has come to implement a complete ban on the sale of wet wipes that do not comply with the Fine to Flush standard. The sector has worked closely with manufacturers and retailers on the development of this standard, but adoption is not happening fast enough.
Sarah Bentley, CEO of Thames Water, called for regulations on drainage in new developments. “The biggest single driver for the discharge of untreated sewage into the environment is the excessive rainfall from our wastewater treatment works, overwhelming them. By choosing to implement Schedule 3 of the Floods and Water Management Act 2010 the Government can significantly reduce the rate of surface water discharge into our network, meaning more available capacity for new connections for new developments and less risk of spills from combined sewer overflows.
Water companies have come under fire for failing to stop sewage scandals despite paying generous bonuses to their CEOs. Last week, it was revealed that companies are releasing sewage onto beaches and into rivers even when the weather is not exceptional.
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