Royal Borough nature group welcomes Government sewage row U-turn

A Royal Borough nature group has welcomed a Government U-turn which will crack down on companies pumping sewage into waterways after ministers faced a backlash.

The House of Lords passed an amendment to the Environment Bill last week to order stronger action against firms discharging sewage into rivers.

They wanted to place a ‘legal duty’ on water companies to ensure ‘reasonable steps’ are taken to prevent sewage being released in the event of storms.

Firms are legally allowed to discharge sewage when there has been heavy rainfall to avoid the system failing.

But MPs controversially voted to take out the legal duty from the amendment when voting it through the House of Commons on October 20.

Maidenhead MP Theresa May, Windsor’s Adam Afriyie and Marlow’s Joy Morrissey received criticism for their decision to take out the line – but ministers defended their votes over concerns that the original amendment proposed would not be workable.

The Government eventually took a U-turn on Tuesday when it announced that it would in fact be placing a legal duty on water firms ‘to secure a reduction in the impact of sewage discharges from storm overflows’.

Mike Copland, chairman of nature group WildCookham, said: “It's great news that the Government has bowed to pressure, but it is very disappointing that despite the clear evidence of biodiversity loss due to pollution, when it comes to legislation their first instinct is to bow to the polluters.

“We have so little time to turn this round: we cannot afford fence-sitting. We hope that our legislators will put their laws where their mouths are, and we rely on our own MP to demonstrate her clearly expressed commitment to protecting our environment.

“We have to stop messing around. Every bit of untreated sewage, every bit of chemical run-off, leads to habitat destruction and species loss. No more excuses.”

Fiona Hewer, chairman of WildMaidenhead, added that water quality is important both for the wellbeing of wildlife, but also human health.

“It is an important issue for our area and something that needs to be taken seriously,” she said. “A lof of people won’t swim in the River Thames because it is so polluted.

“Cookham and Maidenhead is just downstream from the Little Marlow sewage treatment works so this is a very real issue.”

Fiona said that she would like to see the Environment Agency (EA) ‘better resourced’ to deal with the issue of sewage discharges and added there is also an emphasis on water companies to cut down their levels and improve their infrastructure.

Slough’s Labour MP Tan Dhesi said he wanted to protect against the ‘abhorrent practice’.

“Preserving our natural environment needs strong legislation, so I was shocked that this Tory Government didn’t agree and voted against it,” he said.

“But the likes of me have done our best to force the Conservatives into yet another U-turn.

“We must be robust against companies who think this abhorrent practice is acceptable to ensure a greener and cleaner future.”

A Thames Water spokeswoman said in a statement that discharges of untreated sewage into waterways was 'simply unacceptable'. 

“Our aim will always be to try and do the right thing for our rivers and for the communities who love and value them," the firm said. 

"By working with local partners we’re actively listening to our customers, who want us to do more. Our planned investment in our sewer network and upgrading sewage treatment works across our region will help improve the situation.

“It’s our view that discharges of untreated sewage are simply unacceptable, even when they are legally permitted, and we’ll work with the Government, Ofwat (The Water Services Regulation Authority) and the EA to accelerate work to stop them being necessary.

“We have a long way to go – and we certainly can’t do it on our own – but the ambition is clear.”

Theresa May MP said: "I take this issue extremely seriously, particularly given Maidenhead’s access to many beautiful waterways.  

"The previous proposed changes to the Environment Bill would not have been workable in practice. They would have meant our current sewage system being outlawed overnight and did not offer a solution to sewage potentially being discharged onto our pavements, fields and parks.  

"However, the intention was always to debate this further to find a workable solution and so I'm pleased that the Government has now come forward with a new legal duty which will ensure water companies deliver a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows.

"This means we can protect our waterways while enabling our current sewage system to legally operate."

The Government’s Environment Secretary George Eustice MP said: “Earlier this summer, the Government published a new strategy for Ofwat, mandating them to progressively reduce the discharge of sewage from storm overflows in the next pricing review.

“Following a debate in the House of Commons last week, during the final stages of the Environment Bill, today we are announcing that we will put that commitment on a statutory footing with a new clause.”