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(Alliance News) - The UK government has no time to waste when it comes to punishing sewage-dumping water companies, the Liberal Democrats said on Monday, as permit breaches reached a three-year high.
The party has long called for a crackdown on water companies who are found guilty of breaching their environmental permits and for executives' bonuses to be banned.
In 2023, across the nine water companies in England, 695 breaches were recorded, a freedom of information request by the party revealed.
The Department for Environment & Rural Affairs previously revealed that 554 breaches were made in 2022; 273 in 2021; and 841 in 2020.
Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Tim Farron said: "This is a national scandal that is only getting worse. These damning new figures show the last Conservative government was letting water firms get away with it to a shocking level.
"These polluting firms are breaching their permits on an almost daily basis, all whilst pocketing massive bonuses and profits. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.
"The new government has no time to waste in punishing these disgraced firms. This should start with an immediate ban on all exec bonuses, but go much further with a complete reform of the industry.
"The country will not stand for this any longer after years of Conservative government failure. It is time for an end to profit before the environment."
A permit breach can occur due to water companies discharging from storm overflows despite there being no rain or snow, or incidents relating to sewage treatment works.
According to the FOI, Severn Trent PLC made 132 breaches in 2023, making the water company the worst offender, followed by Southern Water and United Utilities Group PLC which both made 108 breaches.
A Defra spokesperson said: "The new government will never look the other way while water companies pump record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
"In the first week we announced immediate steps to begin the work of cleaning up our waterways including ringfencing investment so it can never be diverted for bonuses, dividends or salary increases.
"We will go further putting water companies under tough special measures. Under the Water (Special Measures) Bill, law-breaking water bosses will face criminal charges and a ban on their bonuses if they don't clean up their act, and we'll bring in private sector investment to repair our broken sewage system once and for all."
By Rhiannon James, PA Political Reporter
Severn Trent shares were unchanged at 2,530.00 pence on Monday morning in London. United Utilities also was unchanged, at 990.00p.
source: PA
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