In a move similar to that made by her predecessor, Ranil Jayawardena, environment secretary, Therese Coffey, last week told water companies to provide chapter and verse on their plans to reduce sewage pollution from storm overflows.
Coffey demanded a clear assessment and action plan on every storm overflow from every water and sewerage company in England, prioritising those that are spilling more than a certain number of times a year, and those spilling into bathing waters and high priority nature sites.
In his first day in office, Jayawardena instructed water chiefs to write to him formally by 21 September explaining their plans for “significant improvements” on sewage spills.
Coffey’s renewed call drew criticism from campaigners and others including Green MP, Caroline Lucas, who said: “ Will the minister force water companies to invest…profits into urgently upgrading the outdated sewage infrastructure — not ask them, not require more plans, but force them to do it?”
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