Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan has said new government measures signal a fresh start to end the crisis in the water sector and cut sewage pollution.
Over the last six years, there have been over one million sewage spill events across the country including in Portsmouth.
Mr Morgan has long campaigned to tackle sewage pollution – raising the issue in Parliament, launching a petition signed by over 1000 Portsmouth people and voting for change.
The new government measures represent a step change after years of failure to ensure the water industry cuts illegal sewage dumping.
The announcements will attract major private-sector investment to upgrade infrastructure while prioritising the interests of customers and the environment.
This week Environment Secretary Steve Reed announced:
- He has written to Ofwat to ask them to make sure funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment.
- Water companies will place customers and the environment at the heart of their objectives.
- Consumers will gain new powers to hold water company bosses to account through powerful new customer panels.
- Strengthened protection and compensation for households and businesses when their basic water services are affected.
Commenting, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“I have long said that Portsmouth families should be able to enjoy our city’s superb seaside and areas of natural beauty, without having to worry about encountering filthy sewage.
“After years of failure from the Tories to tackle sewage spills, the new Labour government is not wasting any time in taking significant steps to end this scandal impacting Portsmouth waters.
“Steps the Department are now taking signal a fresh start to end the crisis in the water sector to cut sewage pollution.”
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said:
“We will never look the other way while water companies pump sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
“This unacceptable destruction of our waterways should never have been allowed, but change has now begun so it can never happen again.
“Today I have announced significant steps to clean up the water industry to cut sewage pollution, protect customers and attract investment to upgrade its crumbling infrastructure.
“That change will take time. Over the coming weeks and months, this Government will outline further steps to reform the water sector and restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good health.
“These steps sit alongside the Government’s manifesto commitments to put failing water companies under tough special measures to clean up our waterways.”
You can read about Stephen’s long track record of relentlessly campaigning to stop the sewage here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/backs-tough-plans-to-tackle-sewage/
