New Water Bill announcement a step towards ending sewage pollution
2 minute read
The UK Government has announced new measures to clean up our waters and finally see an end to sewage pollution. Our CEO, Sandy Luk, breaks down the announcement and shares our thoughts on what needs to happen next.
I recently made my way to the Thames Rowing Club in Putney to attend an announcement on water regulation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) Secretary of State, Steve Reed. It’s funny how years ago that would have sounded so technical and uninteresting. Not now. After decades of worsening pollution from sewage discharges, this is a topic everyone cares about.
At the Marine Conservation Society, we've been campaigning for an end to sewage pollution for a very long time and we're delighted with the measures that have been announced.
Mandatory enforcement and monitoring to be introduced
There is to be mandatory enforcement action in relation to water pollution offences. This means that polluters will be held to account for their actions – hopefully creating a strong incentive to avoid pollution in the first place.
Funding is to be ringfenced for this, which is crucial, as sufficient levels of funding and staffing for the regulatory authorities will be crucial to make this as effective as it needs to be.
Mandatory monitoring is to be introduced for emergency sewage discharges in addition to existing monitoring requirements for storm overflows. This is brilliant news and we will be urging the UK Government to introduce an accelerated timetable for monitoring and addressing both types of discharges.
Speed is of the essence if we are to improve the state of our seas. We'll be calling on the Government to extend monitoring requirements to include hidden pollutants like forever chemicals.
Full review to reform the water industry in the UK
There will be a full review next year to fundamentally reform the water industry at catchment, regional and national scale. This reform is to put customers and the environment first.
It's intended to protect and restore nature, encourage investment, support regenerative farming and address many different sources of pollution.
Of course, the devil will be in the detail and a fundamental reform of this nature will take time, but building on the more immediate announcements, this is a step that is long overdue.
Credit: Good Law Project
Last year, we took Defra to court to improve its plan on storm overflows, with huge help from all our supporters. Together, we made a difference and the plan improved. The announcements today must also be put at the door of the huge pressure and public support that has been building and building for action on water pollution.
With that support, we will continue to push for progress and to hold our governments to account to deliver ambitious and speedy action.
