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Non-Departmental Publication (Guidance and Regulation)
Environment Agency

Mar. 28 2024

Source Page: WR2 4BN, Severn Trent Water Limited: environmental permit issued - EPR/ZP3498ER/V004
Document: Decision document: Severn Trent Water Limited (PDF)

Found: England & Wales) Regulations 2016 (as amended) We have decided to grant the permit for Worcester Sewage


Select Committee
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Oral Evidence Mar. 26 2024

Inquiry: Work of Defra
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (Department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Found: you would block bonuses for water companies that are regularly in breach of the laws protecting our rivers


Scottish Government Publication (Progress report)
Marine Directorate
Environment and Forestry Directorate

Mar. 25 2024

Source Page: Wild salmon strategy implementation plan progress report: 2023-2024
Document: Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan Progress Report 2023-2024 (PDF)

Found: grant schemes will continue to provide financial support for projects benefiting wild salmon, and rivers


Written Question
Sewage: Rivers
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to provide public health warnings over the risk to (a) people and (b) animals of entering rivers into which sewage has been released.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government directed water companies to increase their storm overflow monitoring in 2013 and achieved 100% event duration monitoring (EDM) coverage before the end of 2023. EDM data shows when storm overflows are discharging, and how long discharges have lasted for. The wealth of data collected from these monitors will ensure that we know the full extent of the problem – increasing transparency, revealing the worst-offending overflows, and enabling regulators to hold polluters to account.

In addition, the Environment Agency takes over 7,000 samples each year at England’s 424 designated bathing waters, which are used to determine the annual bathing water classifications. These classifications are displayed on signage at bathing waters and online on the Environment Agency’s Swimfo website, to allow bathers to make informed decisions before entering the water. If there is a pollution incident, a notification is posted on the Swimfo website and on signage at the bathing water. Throughout the bathing season, the Environment Agency makes daily pollution risk forecasts for a number of bathing waters, where water quality may be temporarily reduced due to factors such as heavy rainfall, wind or the tide. When a temporary reduction in water quality is forecast, the Environment Agency issues a pollution risk warning and advice against bathing, enabling bathers to avoid times or locations where the risk of pollution is higher than normal and health risks from bathing may be higher than the annual classification suggests. To reduce risk to health from bathing waters, the UK Health Security Agency and the Environment Agency offer advice in their ‘Swim Healthy’ guidance, which is available to read before making any decision on swimming.


Written Question
Sewage: Rivers
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to move water companies that do not restrict sewage spills under an operator of last resort.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

There is no operator of last resort for water companies. Ofwat monitors the performance and financial position of all water companies and publishes results on these annually. Ofwat will take action when water company performance is not at the level Government expect, or if their investors need to strengthen their long-term financial resilience.

This Government is holding the water industry to account on a scale never seen before. We have legislated to introduce unlimited penalties on water companies who breach their environmental permits and expand the range of offences to which penalties can be applied. Furthermore, on 20 February, the Government and Environment Agency (EA) announced that they will quadruple the number of water company inspections to crack down on poor performing companies.

We will continue to hold water companies to account and if there are illegal breaches of permits, the regulators will not hesitate to take robust action.


Written Question
Sewage: Rivers
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of infrastructure in preventing sewage releases into rivers.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Through the Government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, we have set stringent targets for water companies to reduce the use of storm overflows, driving the largest infrastructure programme in water company history of £60 billion over 25 years. We expect water companies to utilise a natural capital approach, considering carbon reduction and biodiversity net gain, as well as catchment level and nature-based solutions in their planning where possible.

Water company investment in environmental improvements has been scaled up to £7.1 billion over the period 2020 – 25. This includes £3.1 billion invested in storm overflow improvements specifically. Moreover, we expect water companies to use the next five-year Price Review period (2025-2030) to set bold and ambitious plans that deliver for people and the environment.

On 11 March, the Government announced additional fast-tracked investment of £180m over the next 12 months into improving sewer infrastructure. This is expected to prevent more than 8000 sewage spills polluting English waterways.


Non-Departmental Publication (Transparency)
Consumer Council for Water

Mar. 21 2024

Source Page: Consumer Council for Water annual report and accounts 2022 to 2023
Document: Consumer Council for Water annual report and accounts 2022 to 2023 (PDF)

Found: And the industry continued to be engulfed in controversy surrounding pollution in our rivers, streams


Non-Departmental Publication (Statistics)
Environment Agency

Mar. 21 2024

Source Page: Environmental capacity for industrial clusters
Document: Environmental capacity for industrial clusters: Phase 2 (PDF)

Found: Waste management, sewage works and sewer capacity may also limit the extent of what is permissible without


Non-Departmental Publication (Statistics)
Environment Agency

Mar. 21 2024

Source Page: Environmental capacity for industrial clusters
Document: Environmental capacity for industrial clusters: Phase 1 Humber Pathfinder Project (PDF)

Found: Climate change could also affect rivers which are already impacted.


Departmental Publication (Statistics)
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

Mar. 21 2024

Source Page: Environmental capacity for industrial clusters
Document: Environmental capacity for industrial clusters: Phase 2 (PDF)

Found: Waste management, sewage works and sewer capacity may also limit the extent of what is permissible without