The Clean Water Authority
The UK is facing one of the worst environmental crises in its history, and our water system is at breaking point. For years, water companies have been allowed to dump raw sewage into our rivers, lakes, and coastlines, polluting the natural environment and threatening public health, all while raking in extraordinary profits and inflating water bills.
Despite this, the Conservatives in government turned a blind eye to the issue and failed to take the necessary actions to hold these companies accountable. They’ve even voted against tougher regulations that would protect our waterways.
This is more than just a political failure; it’s an environmental catastrophe.
Liberal Democrats believe that everyone has the right to enjoy clean, safe water and unpolluted rivers, lakes, and coastlines. We are committed to ending the national sewage scandal and holding water companies accountable for their environmental impact. We've passed new policy to do just that:
- Replace Ofwat with the Clean Water Authority: The Clean Water Authority will regulate water companies with a focus on both financial and environmental performance, taking over river health oversight from the Environment Agency and working with Natural Resources Wales. Water companies' ownership structures will be reformed to ensure they act in the public interest, with local environmental experts required on their boards.
- Provide More Funding to Regulators: We will increase funding for the Clean Water Authority, the Environment Agency, the Office for Environmental Protection, and Natural England. This will ensure they have the resources needed to improve regulation and enforce environmental laws.
- Strengthen the Clean Water Authority’s powers: With this new regulator, water companies will be required to publish real-time sewage spill data, meet legally binding targets to prevent spills by 2030, face licence revocation and fines for non-compliance, while a new network of inspectors will oversee their performance to ensure accountability.
It’s time to get serious about water and put an end to the sewage scandal once and for all.