Ian Roome: Boot out Ofwat and bring in a regulator with some teeth

Sewage was dumped into North Devon’s rivers and beaches for more than 39,000 hours in 2023, new figures have revealed.

This is a shocking 89 per cent rise in the duration of sewage spills compared to the previous year, highlighting just how badly the sewage scandal has worsened under the Conservative government's watch.

The analysis is based on official data from the Environment Agency, compiled by the House of Commons Library for the Liberal Democrats.

It shows sewage was dumped into North Devon’s rivers and coastline on 4,120 separate occasions in 2023.

This is a 91 per cent increase in the number of sewage spills, up from 2,158 in 2022.

Last year, sewage was dumped into England's rivers over 460,000 times for a total of over 3.6 million hours in 2023.

Nine in ten constituencies in England saw a rise in the duration of sewage dumping and 90 per cent saw a rise in the number of spills in 2023 compared to the previous year.

The Liberal Democrats have led the way in campaigning against sewage dumping for years.

We are calling for strict measures, including replacing Ofwat with a tougher regulator, a ban on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways and the declaration of a national environmental emergency.

It is disgusting that there has been such a sharp rise in South West Water pumping their filthy sewage into our rivers and beaches.

People in North Devon are sick to the back teeth with Conservative MPs voting time and again to allow water companies to get away with this environmental vandalism.

The whole thing stinks.

The Liberal Democrats have led the way for years in campaigning for tougher action to stop this filthy practice.

We want to see a tougher water regulator, an end to bonuses for polluting water company bosses and stronger protections for our local environment.

North Devon’s rivers and beaches are local treasures and a key driver for tourism and community enjoyment, to help protect these treasures I have pledged full support for the Surfers Against Sewage manifesto aimed at combating pollution in our rivers, lakes and seas.

The recently published Surfers Against Sewage manifesto lays out a comprehensive five-point plan addressing critical aspects of the sewage pollution crisis, including enforcing the law, stopping pollution for profit, prioritising high-risk pollution, transparency and empowering a nature-led approach.