The Department for the Environment (DEFRA) said on Friday that water companies will need to make £56bn of capital investment over the next 25 years to stop raw sewage flowing into the UK’s seas and rivers. There have been growing calls to strip water company bosses of their multi-million pound bonuses after outrage over how much sewage is being dumped into the sea. Under the plan, businesses will have by 2035 to improve the way they manage all sewage overflows discharged next to bathing waters and improve 75% of overflows in prime natural locations. By 2050, this will be the case for all waterways. The government said it was introducing “tougher targets” to crack down on sewage leaks. But the Lib Dems branded the plan a “cruel joke” and claimed it would lead to 325,000 sewage landfills a year by 2030. The party’s environment spokesman, Tim Farron, said: “This government plan is a license to pump sewage onto our beaches and into our precious rivers and lakes. “By the time these weak targets are in place, our beaches will be filled with disgusting sewage, more otters will be poisoned and our children will still be swimming in dangerous waters.” The party claimed the plan would result in taxpayers paying heavily for the improvements, despite water company bosses earning huge bonuses in recent years. Previous analysis by the party found that the average water company executive bonus rose by a fifth (18%) last year and that the average annual water company executive bonus now stands at £670,000. The paper published by DEFRA said there would be no impact on bills until 2025, but it is estimated that annual bills for the whole period up to 2050 will eventually rise by £42 compared to current prices. It comes at a time when households are already feeling the pinch with energy bills expected to soar for millions in October following a record 80% rise in the price cap. “The whole thing smells” Mr Farron criticized the decision not to ban water company chief executive bonuses. “While he’s rolling in cash, we’re swimming in sewage. The whole thing stinks,” he said. “The day this cost of living crisis reached catastrophic levels, the government withheld this news. They took the concept of ‘delete your rubbish’ to a whole new level.” Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 1:49 Why are UK seas flowing with sewage? Ministers are facing growing calls to crack down on water companies for failing to invest in the UK’s aging water infrastructure. Dozens of pollution warnings have been issued for beaches and swimming spots in England and Wales this week after heavy rain overwhelmed sewers. Raw sewage was spotted pouring into the sea near Bexhill, East Sussex, on Wednesday, while on Thursday French MEPs accused the UK of putting fishermen’s livelihoods and public health at risk by pushing sewage into the English Channel. The government said water companies would have to meet a number of targets so discharges would only take place when there is unusually heavy rainfall and when there is no immediate negative impact on the local environment. DEFRA said companies that do not meet its targets will have to refund customers or face fines, stressing that companies cannot profit from environmental damage. Environment Secretary George Eustice claimed the UK government was “the first government to take action to end the environmental damage caused by sewage leaks”. He said: “We will demand that water companies protect everyone who uses our water for recreation and ensure that storm surges do not pose a threat to the environment. “Water companies will need to invest to stop unacceptable sewage leaks so our rivers and coasts are better protected than ever before.” Read more: Huge rise in raw sewage released into UK waterways Truss Environment Agency budget cuts lead to ‘doubled sewage discharge’ “Conservatives have taken to writing fiction” However, Labor accused the government of “writing fiction”. Jim McMahon, Labour’s shadow secretary of state for the environment, said that based on last year’s figures, “weak improvement targets” would lead to an additional 4.8 million sewage leaks in the UK between now and 2035. “Britain deserves better than a zombie Tory government that is happy for our country to be treated like an open sewer,” he said. “Labour will use the levers of power to hold reckless bosses to account legally and financially and strengthen regulations to prevent them from gaming the system.” DEFRA said it would review its plan in 2027 to assess “where we can go further”.
