An environmental watchdog has announced it is to carry out an investigation into the enforcement of rules on untreated sewage being pumped into rivers and seas in England.
The recently formed Office for Environmental Protection will investigate the environment secretary George Eustice, as well as the Environment Agency and Ofwat – the water services regulation authority – in how they regulate the use of combined sewer overflows (CSOs), as concerns about deteriorating water quality mount.
The investigation will seek “to determine whether these authorities have failed to comply with their respective duties in relation to the regulation, including the monitoring and enforcement, of water companies’ own duties to manage sewage”, the OEP said in a statement.
The announcement of the investigation comes after England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty described the growing problem of faeces in river water as a “major issue” and “unacceptable on health grounds”, in a statement urging water companies to act faster.
The OEP’s chief regulatory officer Helen Venn said: “Unsatisfactory water quality is an important, longstanding, systemic issue and one of the most pressing environmental concerns at this time.
“This is a complex area and there is already a great deal of work underway to try and tackle the problem of untreated sewage in our rivers. Our investigation will contribute to that work by providing clarity about the legal responsibilities of the different bodies involved to ensure measures to tackle the problems can be targeted and effective.”
She added that at this stage the OEP did not know exactly “where the investigation will take us”, but she said it was “possible that it could result in enforcement activity”, or in broader actions to improve the legal and regulatory systems.
“Our priority throughout will be to protect and improve the environment,” she said.
The investigation follows a complaint made by the organisation Salmon & Trout Conservation.
The group’s solicitor Guy Linley-Adams, who submitted the complaint said: “Make no mistake, the pollution we see today in English rivers is the direct and inevitable result of the appallingly soft touch regulation applied to the water companies by both the Environment Agency and Ofwat over many years.”
More follows…
