Last year, the government allowed 75 days’ worth of raw sewage to be dumped into Portsmouth’s open spaces, the Labour Party has revealed.
Analysis of Environment Agency data shows that in 2022, raw sewage was discharged into Portsmouth’s waters for 1809 hours, the equivalent of there being a continuous flow of sewage taking place for over two months of the year.
In response to the news, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan is calling on local people to make their voices heard by backing Labour’s plan to Stop the Sewage.
Labour’s research also points to 545 sewage dumping events having taken place locally last year. This equates to 10 new sewage spills every week, a damning indictment of the Tories allowing raw sewage to polluting the places in which people live, work and holiday.
Responding to the analysis, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“The Tory sewage scandal has polluted Portsmouth waters with filthy raw sewage.
“The disgraceful images that we see of sewage pipes pumping out raw human waste could have been avoided had Tory MPs not dismissed Labour’s warnings
“Labour is the only party that has a plan to end sewage dumping in Portsmouth and across the country. By delivering mandatory monitoring on all sewage outlets, introducing automatic fines for discharges and ensuring that water bosses are held to account for negligence.”
The data comes after analysis revealed that nationally since 2016, a new sewage dumping event has taken place an average of every two-and-a-half minutes, with rivers, lakes, seas, and beaches having faced a staggering 1,276 years’ worth of raw sewage over just a seven-year period.
The news will inevitably once again spark serious concern at the environmental, health and economic impact that sewage dumping is having on communities across the country.
During the passage of the Environment Bill, Conservative MPs voted to allow water firms to continue sewage dumping, having blocked a Labour-backed amendment that would have progressively eliminated sewage dumping.
Last September, Shadow Environment Secretary Jim McMahon announced that a future Labour Government would implement measures that would force water companies to clean up their act and progressively end sewage dumping and the culture of water companies treating our natural environment as an open sewer.
Jim McMahon OBE MP, Shadow Environment Secretary said:
“That the Tories have allowed villages, towns, and cities across the country to be treated as open sewers shows that they have no respect for places where people live, work and holiday.
“Communities should be able to just enjoy the place where they live without having to worrying about encountering filthy raw sewage.
“The next Labour Government will end the Tory sewage scandal, delivering mandatory monitoring on all sewage outlets, introducing automatic fines for discharges, setting ambitious targets for stopping systematic sewage dumping and ensuring that water bosses are held to account for negligence.”
You can show support for city MP Stephen Morgan’s Stop the Sewage plan here: www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/pledge-your-support-stop-the-sewage
