Water firms may have to reveal how many animals sewage kills

WATER companies should report how many otters and other animals they kill each year by dumping raw sewage into rivers, according to a proposal to be voted on by MPs this week.

A new sewage Bill, presented by the former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, would ban water companies from allowing sewage to flow into rivers and introduce a reporting requirement, naming and shaming firms that kill animals and pollute wild swimming spots.

Water companies have discharged raw sewage into waterways more than 750,000 in the last two years, usually when existing infrastructure is overloaded with rainwater. Wild swimmers have been told to avoid open water spots and otters have been poisoned by “forever chemicals”.

The Rivers Trust has said that only 14 per cent of rivers meet standards for good ecological status and that sewage is now the biggest risk to animals living in or near rivers.

It is thought the sewage discharges could also be a threat to dogs.

Mr Farron’s Ten Minute Rule Bill will be heard on Tuesday, and if approved, would “require companies to publish quarterly reports on the impact of sewage discharges on the natural environment, animal welfare and human health”, according to a copy of the document seen by The Sunday Telegraph.

It would also require all water companies to have at least one representative of an environmental group on their board to hold other members to account, and set “mandatory timescales” for the end of discharging into waterways.

The Bill comes after the Government rejected a House of Lords amendment to the Environment Bill that would have forced companies to “take all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged from storm overflows” and to “demonstrate improvements in the sewerage systems”.

Ministers argued that the plan would cost too much money and lead to an increase in water bills, and accepted a more limited form of the amendment, heading off a rebellion of 22 Conservative MPs.

Mr Farron said: “Enough is enough. It is time to end this national scandal. I call on MPs to do the decent thing and save treasured animals from endless sewage dumps. Otters are being poisoned and dog walkers fear the sight of their beloved pet jumping into a local stream. This is a shameful state of affairs.”