Tim Farron presents bill to Parliament calling for widescale water industry reform

This week in Parliament, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron presented a Private Member’s Bill which seeks to radically reform the water industry to reduce sewage pollution.

The bill aims to do four things:

1. Introduce a new ownership model where water companies are owned by their customers, for public benefit not private profit.

2. Force companies to publish the volume of sewage they discharge into waterways - not just the duration of spills

3. Set up a new water regulator - Clean Water Authority – with new powers to penalise water companies that pollute Britain’s waterways
 
4. Bring in a national social tariff for water, so that those struggling with paying for their bills can get support no matter where in the country they live 

According to the website Top of the Poops, sewage has been discharged into waterways in Westmorland and Lonsdale for 10,794 hours already this year. 

This includes:

• 1,792 hours of sewage discharges at Crosby Garrett Wastewater Treatment Works into Crosby Garrett Beck
• 1,433 hours of sewage discharge at Winton Pumping Station, near Kirkby Stephen, into the River Eden
• 1,056 hours of sewage discharges at Staveley Wastewater Treatment Works into the River Kent

Speaking today, Tim said: “Sewage pollution into our lakes, rivers and seas is disgusting. It’s harmful to our environment and a threat to the health of our animals, our pets, our livestock, wildlife, and indeed to the human beings who swim in our waterways.

“It's not just disgusting though. It's completely outrageous that huge water companies should be able to get away with doing this without being properly held to account.

“My bill would change who owns the water companies - they'll be mutually owned by all of their customers.

“We'd also make sure that the water companies have to divulge the volume of sewage they put in there.

“At the moment, they can hide behind the current regulation. They don't have to tell us how much sewage they pumped into our lakes, rivers and seas.

“Likewise, this bill would make sure that there's a proper regulator that can take on the water companies to keep our water clean.

“And finally, it would make sure that the bill price that all of us pay is fair and affordable.”