Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has been made on reducing phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater in the last two years.

Monitoring data on phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater is collated on a five-yearly basis to align with the water company business planning cycles. Between 2015 and 2020, phosphorus in treated wastewater discharged into rivers has reduced by 22%.

However, the Government knows that the amount of phosphorus in treated wastewater is still damaging to the water environment.

That is why we are requiring water companies to take further action to meet our new Environment Act target for wastewater. Water companies must deliver an 80% reduction in phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater by 2038 (against a 2020 baseline), with an interim target of 50% by 31 January 2028.

To meet this target, we will work with the Environment Agency to tighten the permits on wastewater treatment works even further, requiring an additional estimated 400 treatment works to meet the strictest limits for phosphorus.

Our amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will also contribute to the achievement of this target by requiring water companies to improve the performance of wastewater treatment works to the strictest limits for phosphorus in designated areas by 1 April 2030.