- The new Environment Secretary shares plans in today’s Mail on Sunday
Labour today pledges to end the ‘national scandal’ of ‘stinking filth in our waterways’ by throwing the Government’s weight behind an £88 billion investment in water firms.
On the weekend that marks the start of the peak holiday season, Environment Secretary Steve Reed said the second biggest private sector investment of the Parliament – behind energy – would be devoted to cleaning up the nation’s water.
Writing in today’s Mail on Sunday, he promises to tackle ‘record levels of toxic raw sewage polluting Britain’s once pristine rivers, lakes and seas’.
The Government is backing plans by the regulator Ofwat for an £88 billion spending package by water utilities between 2025 and 2030, initially funded by the City or through borrowing and then recovered through higher customer bills.
After the outcry over the millions paid to water bosses in bonuses despite multiple sewage spills, Mr Reed says the companies will in effect be placed in ‘special measures’, with water bosses potentially subject to criminal charges and a ban on bonuses when standards have not been met.
Protesters hold a flag during the demonstration against water companies dumping sewage into British rivers and seas, in Brighton on May 18
Environment Sec Steve Reed (pictured) said the second biggest private sector investment of the Parliament – behind energy – would be devoted to cleaning up the nation’s water
A murky brown coloured sea water off Brighton beach as crowds enjoy the hot sunny weather
A tanker pumping out excess sewage from the Lightlands Lane pumping station in Cookham
He writes: ‘Instead of protecting our waterways, the water companies paid out multi-million pound bonuses. It was more profitable to let the pollution flow rather than fix the broken pipes, and regulation was too weak to stop them.’
He adds that ‘bosses responsible for repeated illegal sewage dumping will face criminal charges, and I’ll ban the payment of their multi-million pound bonuses until they clean up their toxic filth’.
Pollution from sewage works, farms and motorways has overwhelmed the country’s rivers and coastlines, with water companies dumping sewage unchecked at nearly 900 spots in protected natural areas in England.
The new Water Bill will also require companies to install real-time monitors at every sewage outlet across the country.
The plans are part of the Government’s ‘audit’ of its inheritance from the Conservatives, designed to dodge blame for crises and pave the way eventually for tax rises.
Mr Reed has said tackling the sewage crisis is the number one priority for his department.