Lib Dems Lisa Smart takes Government to task on sewage in rivers

The Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Hazel Grove Constituency, Lisa Smart, stood up for local residents in a recent submission to a government consultation on sewage discharges.

During heavy rainfall, water companies are allowed to dump untreated sewage into rivers and, despite attempts by Lib Dems in Parliament, Conservative MPs failed to back proposals to stop it from happening.  

Cllr Lisa Smart, Parliamentary Campaigner for Hazel Grove Constituency and Councillor for Bredbury Green & Romiley, said: “I recently took part in a sponsored canoeing challenge to raise money for a great local charity, Beacon Counselling, and saw first-hand the problems being caused in our rivers by sewage dumping.

“This Government needs to step up and make sure water companies are made to take responsibility for 772,000 sewage discharges in our rivers, lakes and coastal areas in 2020 and 2021, totalling more than 5.5m hours. Suppliers made £2.8m in operating profits last year, but the Government plans to make customers pay for the work needed to deal with this crisis.

“Our own water supplier here, United Utilities, is the worst performing company in terms of total hours of sewage dumped (1.267m), but has paid out the highest level of executive bonuses and incentives in both 2020 and 2021.

“This is completely unacceptable! It is up to the Government to make sure water companies do not destroy our natural habitats, putting the health of animals such as dogs and otters at risk, as well as the health of children and adults who use our rivers, lakes and streams. People should not have to pay for their recklessness – we need a sewage tax on water companies to pay for a clean up.”

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Below is the text of Lisa’s submission to the Government consultation on its Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan:

To Whom it May Concern

The levels of sewage discharges are shocking and something must be done to stop them. In the last two years there have been 772,000 instances of sewage discharges in total into our rivers, lakes and coastal areas, lasting over 5.5 million hours.

Meanwhile, water companies have made £2.8 billion in operating profits in 2021 and have rewarded their executives with bonuses, benefits and incentives of over £27 million in 2020 and 2021.

I am responding as the Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Campaigner for Hazel Grove Constituency in the North West of England, part of United Utilities' customer base.

According to figures for 2020 and 21, United Utilities was the worst performing water company in terms of the levels of sewage discharges over the two years, totalling 1.267 million hours, but paid out the highest level of executive remuneration in both years.

The government's plans to increase people's bills by £5 a month, until 2090, to deal with this crisis is unacceptable. It is not fair that consumers are paying the price for reckless water companies polluting our rivers.

Liberal Democrats are calling for an end to sewage discharges, and it's the water companies that should pay for it. That's why we're calling for a sewage tax to help fund a clean up as well as for a ban on bonuses for sewage bosses until discharges end.

Sincerely

Cllr Lisa Smart

Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Campaigner for Hazel Grove Constituency