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DEFRA reheats sewage announcement from 165 days ago

The Liberal Democrats have criticised the Conservative government for repeating a request to water companies to publish their plans to tackle sewage discharges, just 165 days after an almost identical announcement.

In those 165 days water companies will have dumped sewage an estimated 168,000 times, lasting 1.2 million hours - if sewage dumping rates remain the same as 2021. 

In September 2022, water companies were asked by then-Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena to share plans for how they plan to improve infrastructure and reduce sewage spills from storm overflow. Now new Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey has again demanded the water companies “share plans on improving Britain’s water infrastructure.”

The new fines announced today only apply to ‘illegal’ sewage dumps, which make up a small percentage of the total. In 2020 and 2021, England’s water companies legally dumped sewage 775,500 times, lasting almost 5.8 million hours.

Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron said: 

“The Government cannot keep pretending they’re taking meaningful action on sewage overflows by repeating these empty threats.

“What is totally unacceptable is this Conservative Government allowing any sewage to end up in our waterways. Only cracking down on ‘illegal’ spills tackles a mere fraction of the problem. 

“Last time DEFRA asked water companies for an update like this, executives called for a ban on non-flushable wet wipes in order to reduce blockages and improve drainage. It has been nearly six months and no action has been taken. This is simple stuff.

“If this Conservative Government is serious about improving infrastructure, instead of calling for bureaucratic reports, they need to ban wet wipes that do not meet flushable standards with immediate effect.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editor

The full letters written by water company executives to Ranil Jayawardena can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-companies-correspondence-eir202219061

In September 2022, water companies were asked by then-Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena to share plans for how they plan to improve infrastructure and reduce sewage spills from storm overflows. Letters written to the Government by water company executives were not initially published. 

DEFRA eventually released the letters from water company executives under FOI, but did not take action on the points of concern raised, which included calls to ban on “non-flushable” wet wipes. 

Water companies also called for the full implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act in England, which would ensure that new developments have their drainage systems approved before construction begins. The Welsh government implemented these rules in 2019, but the Westminster government is yet to do so.