How the Marine Conservation Society is shaping the Water (Special Measures) Bill

Our efforts have centred on four key recommendations, which we outlined in a previous blog:

1. There should be mandatory monitoring and reporting of all sewage overflows by 2030.
2. Sewerage and water undertakers must be under a duty to prepare, publish and implement pollution incident reduction plans.
3. Emergency overflow monitoring needs to cover testing for persistent chemicals, including PFAS.
4. No exceptions should be made to the requirement to report discharges from emergency overflows.

We’ve been working with parliamentarians and other stakeholders to ensure that these recommendations become reality. Here’s a closer look at the progress we’ve made, and the challenges ahead.

Persistent Chemicals Amendment for Emergency Overflows

We met with Baroness Young of Old Scone regarding our suggested PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) amendment, which would ensure emergency overflows monitor for PFAS. These persistent chemicals are notoriously harmful to marine life and human health. Monitoring the levels of PFAS discharges is crucial for our ability to understand the scale of the problem.

In the House of Lords, Baroness Young highlighted the dangers of PFAS and advocated for a broader ban on these chemicals where alternatives exist—one of the Marine Conservation Society’s long-standing priorities. While the Water (Special Measures) Bill’s scope is currently too narrow to address PFAS comprehensively, the discussion of this issue in the House of Lords underscores the urgent need for a strategic, government-wide approach to tackle persistent pollutants. We’ll be keeping this topic firmly in politician’s minds until real steps are made to tackle PFAS pollution.

Pollution Incident Reduction Plans

Ahead of the Report Stage, our collaborative efforts yielded some progress. The Government proposed an amendment which would require water and sewerage companies to publish annual reports on the progress toward implementation of their Pollution Incident Reduction Plans.

We welcome this positive step toward accountability, but we believe it needs to go further. We are calling for more robust enforcement measures, ensuring companies face consequences not only for failing to report, but for failing to implement the promised pollution reduction measures.

Next steps

While progress is being made, we still have some significant concerns about the Bill’s effectiveness in protecting our marine environment. As the Bill moves to the House of Commons, we’ll continue advocating for critical improvements:

• Mandatory monitoring and reporting of all sewage overflows by 2030. Comprehensive monitoring is vital to understanding and addressing the scale of pollution.
• No exceptions are made to the requirement to report discharges from emergency overflows. All emergency overflow discharges must be reported to prevent dangerous loopholes.

Why These Changes Matter

The health of our marine ecosystems depends on strong legislation that holds polluters accountable. By strengthening the Water (Special Measures) Bill, we can take meaningful steps toward cleaner, healthier seas.

We’ll continue to work with peers, MPs, and partners to push for these changes. Environmental protections must be at the heart of the Bill. Stay tuned for further updates as the legislation progresses.