Last week, the government announced a consultation into the use of Storm Overflows, to inform a new Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan by September this year.

Fixing storm overflows is key to tackling sewage pollution. In theory, Storm Overflows allow excess water to be discharged into rivers only in exceptional circumstances, like periods of very heavy rain. This prevents our antiquated sewage network overflowing, and sewage backing up our loos and into our homes.

Unfortunately, years of underinvestment in our water infrastructure – both pre and post privatisation – have meant the discharge of sewage from Storm Overflows has become commonplace. Discharge figures for treatment plants and Storm Overflows during 2021 were also released last week, which showed an 8% reduction in the number of discharges compared to 2020, from an increased number of treatment facilities monitored (from 80% to 89% of assets in England).

This may have been due to less rainfall in 2021 putting less pressure on the system, but regardless 372,533 discharges for over 2.6 million hours remains totally unacceptable, and shows why government action is so necessary.

The plans in the consultation are a welcome start, focussing on improving the environmental impacts of 3,000 storm overflows affecting our most important protected sites to been eliminated first, with 70% fewer discharges into bathing waters by 2035. There is no quick fix, and it will take decades. This draft Plan proposes to eliminate 320,000 discharges (80% of the total) by 2050.

The consultation also outlines plans to improve significantly the ability of both Ofwat and the Environment Agency to take enforcement action where needed.

The Rivers Trust has also this week released its updated Sewage Map (https://theriverstrust.org/key-issues/sewage-in-rivers), plotting the location, frequency and duration of sewage discharges into English and Welsh waterways in 2021. It makes for pretty disgusting viewing, but it is a valuable tool to show the scale of this problem, especially for those who use rivers recreationally, such as for wild swimming.

In South Shropshire, spills from sewage treatment works in Ludlow (122 times in 2021 for a total of 1,283 hours) and Bridgnorth (61 times for a total of 439 hours) are still a big problem. I am meeting Severn Trent Water before Easter, to discuss cleaning up water treatment assets, particularly on the Teme between Knighton and south of Ludlow, as approved by Ofwat in the Green Recovery Fund.

With far greater accountability and responsibility on water companies to clean up their act, there may now be light at the end of our Victorian pipe system. As ever, I shall keep on the case.