Woking’s MP votes delay action against sewage in rivers until 2038
- Conservative MPs vote through 15 year "pathetic" target of 80% reduction of phosphates in rivers
- Lib Dem MP candidate slams "betrayal" of local people who are demanding tougher action on water companies
Yesterday afternoon, Conservative MPs including the MP for Woking voted through a new target which allows water companies to dump harmful substances in rivers until 2038.
Under the Environment Act the Government is obliged to bring forward new binding environmental targets. However, the Conservative Government chose to give water companies 15 years to reduce harmful minerals being dumped in rivers.
The Environment Act, which was voted on yesterday in Parliament, set a target of an 80% reduction in phosphates in rivers by 2038. Phosphates are naturally occurring minerals found in human waste and can lead to a dramatic growth in algae and deplete oxygen levels when they are dumped in rivers.
In the last two years water companies in England dumped raw sewage 775,568 times lasting 5.7 million hours. These new regulations would permit dumping to continue by water companies for 15 more years. Liberal Democrat MPs voted against these weak targets in an attempt to force the Government to set far stronger targets.
Responding to the vote in Parliament, Liberal Democrat candidate for Woking, Councillor Will Forster said:
"This is a pathetic target which allows Thames Water to get away with a staggering 15 more years of shameful sewage dumping. This is a betrayal of local people who rightly want tougher action against water companies."
"When will Conservative MPs in our area actually listen to local people? It feels like our area is being taken for granted. It is now clear that this Conservative Government won't act to tackle the sewage crisis."
"It will be swimmers and treasured wildlife which pay the price for this delay in action. I am proud Liberal Democrat MPs voted against this unacceptable delay and demanded tougher action on the water companies."
ENDS
"The Environmental Targets (Water) (England) Regulations 2022" SI passed today:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2022/9780348242911/regulation/10
List of Conservative MPs who voted in favour of the 15 year target for tackling sewage
https://votes.parliament.uk/Votes/Commons/Division/1462#ayes