Mark Wooding calls for an end to sewage dumping

As the Liberal Democrat manifesto calls for reform of the water companies, Mark Wooding, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Central Devon, supported by local Teignbridge Councillor Andy Swain, issued a call to 'stop the sewage dumping'.

The Liberal Democrat Manifesto for the General Election sets out a comprehensive number of proposals to reform the private water companies.

The plan would tackle the national scandal of sewage-polluted rivers, waterways and beaches, and make water companies work for people by:

• Introducing a Sewage Tax on water company profits.
• Enforcing existing laws to ensure that the storm overflows only function in exceptional circumstances.
• Setting legally binding targets to prevent sewage dumping into bathing waters and highly sensitive nature sites by 2030.
• Embracing nature-based solutions to tackle the problem of sewage dumping.
• Strengthening the powers of local authorities to monitor the health of our rivers, lakes and coastlines, restore our natural environment and tackle climate change.
• Introducing a ‘blue corridor’ programme for rivers, streams and lakes to ensure clean and healthy water and setting new ‘blue flag’ standards.
• Improving the quantity and quality of bathing waters and sensitive nature sites with more regular and robust testing of water quality.
• Giving local environmental groups a place on water companies’ boards.
• Introducing a single social tariff for water bills to help eliminate water poverty within the next Parliament.
• Implementing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act to require sustainable drainage systems in new developments.
• Mandating all water companies to publish accessible real-time data on any sewage they dump.