Theo Clarke MP for Stafford was pleased to Co-Sponsor Philip Dunne MP’s Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill. This was a Bill to place a duty on water companies to ensure that untreated sewage is not discharged into rivers and other inland waters.
Ms Clarke is therefore delighted that the Government has confirmed that the key policies from the Bill will be put into law. This forms part of the Government’s ambitious agenda to build back greener from the coronavirus pandemic. Ms Clarke welcomes this vital step in reducing sewage discharge into rivers, increasing the quality of water in rivers and tackling flooding in Staffordshire.
Three key duties will be created to oversee some of the changes needed to improve the water environment:
- a duty on Government to publish a plan by September 2022 to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows
- a duty on Government to report to Parliament on progress on implementing the plan
- a duty on water companies to publish data on storm overflow operation on an annual basis.
