15 more years of harmful waste in our rivers!

Dominic Raab and many other Conservative MP’s have just voted to pass a target which will allow water companies to dump harmful substances into rivers until 2038. 

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 deriving from human waste and too much phosphate can cause a dramatic growth in algae and deplete oxygen levels when they are dumped in rivers. This new regulation would allow sewage to continue to be dumped in rivers for another 15 years. 

Recent analysis has already shown the lack of care from the Conservative government when it comes to our rivers. Data from the River Trust shows that in 2021 The River Mole at Cobham and Esher has been pumped with sewage 100 times for a total of over 1000 hours. Meanwhile, for the whole of the Mole’s catchment area, sewage was discharged over 800 times for a total of 9,120 hours. Since 2010, the Environment Agency has been on the end of dramatic cuts to its budget from the Government, this has been reduced by nearly two-thirds from £120 million to just £48 million. This new target can only result in these figures getting worse.

Monica Harding, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Esher and Walton, said:

“It is unacceptable that our MP failed to vote for measures to stop sewage output into our rivers. As your local MP, I would use my voice in Parliament to continue to fight for clean water here in Esher and Walton. The Liberal Democrats are committed to clearing up our rivers and holding water companies to account.