West MP blasts sewage ‘scandal’
AWESTCOUNTRY MP has described the findings of a new Surfers Against Sewage report into sewage outflows during dry weather as an “environmental scandal”.
Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Honiton, raised concerns in Parliament yesterday and called for a debate, saying the issue was “a wake-up call to Conservative Ministers”.
As reported in yesterday’s Western Morning News, water companies have released raw sewage into UK rivers and seas almost 150 times during dry weather – despite being told to do so only when there is heavy rainfall.
Analysis by Cornwall-based campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) of discharge alerts and meteorological data shows socalled “dry spills” occurred at least 146 times “at a conservative estimate” when there was no rain recorded between October last year and September this year – with South West Water among the companies involved.
The spills are intended to occur only during times of exceptional rainfall to help the sewage network cope, with releases at other times a potential breach of water firms’ permits.
Mr Foord said that the report not only showed South West Water was the second worst offender in the country, but also provided evidence of people becoming sick from swimming in polluted water.
He said local rivers and beaches in Devon have been plagued with sewage spills and his son also became ill after swimming in a local river this summer.
“Our children should not be getting sick from spending time in nature or building sandcastles next to sewage,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“This is an environmental scandal. I will be calling on Ministers to explain why water companies are getting away with making these illegal ‘dry spills’.
“It is deeply shocking to hear people from across the South West, the Lake District and beyond have become sick from swimming in lakes and coastlines as a result of these ‘dry spills’. My own son became ill swimming in a Devon river.
“Months of chaos in Government and an ever-changing cast of Environment Secretaries has meant that, instead of action taken to hold water companies to account, we have only seen empty threats from Government.
“Those MPs who voted against a ban on these sewage discharges last year should hang their heads in shame.”
The SAS report comes ahead of data expected next week from the Environment Agency, which will reveal the frequency and duration of sewage discharges in England this summer.
Amy Slack, SAS head of campaigns and policy, said: “It’s high time the Government stepped up and took real action.”
A Water UK spokesman said: “Companies agree there is an urgent need to tackle storm overflows. They are set to launch one of the country’s largest-ever infrastructure programmes.”