As a passionate conservationist, I very much agree with my constituents that we need to keep our rivers in Cumbria and the wider UK healthy and water pollution to a minimum. I thought the Lords amendment that would have forced sewerage undertakers to demonstrate reduction in discharges by untreated sewage, which was first forwarded by the Duke of Wellington in the House of Lords, was well intentioned but was unrealistic and would have been prohibitively expensive, with estimates of over £150bn which would be needed to replace our Victorian sewer system. This would have to be paid through the public purse, which is under unique pressures after the shock of the last 18 months. In principle, I agree that more needs to be done and that is why I am pleased that the new Environment Bill makes significant strides in this area, such as: duties on water companies to publish information on overflows, to continuously monitor water quality and to produce a Drainage and Sewerage Management strategy to address storm overflows.
The Government has also shown a willingness to punish water companies for damage they cause to the environment. For example, earlier this year Southern Water was handed a record-breaking £90m fine, and Thames Water was fined £4 million and £2.3 million for separate incidents. I therefore think it unfair to suggest, as some have, that MPs are not taking action on storm overflows.
For more info from DEFRA on this issue see the link below:
