Welsh Affairs Committee calls for urgent plan to address sewage discharges

The chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee Stephen Crabb MP has written to the Welsh Government climate change minister Julie James calling for greater urgency in tackling sewage discharges.

Crabb said the Committee’s key points of concern, following two evidence session in its Water quality in Wales inquiry, were:

• the accuracy of monitoring equipment, and therefore reliability of data;

• the lack of monitoring of the volume of sewage discharged as well as the frequency of outflows;

• the frequency of “unpermitted” sewage discharges from storm overflows; and

• the low number of prosecutions in Wales to enforce water quality regulations and the apparent lack of appetite from regulators for stronger enforcement powers and sanctions.

The apparent lack of urgency in tackling these challenges on the part of regulators and water companies. Crabb said: “The significant work required to replace Wales’s combined sewerage system means there is no time to lose, and regulators and companies need to have a clear long-term plan stretching over medium term.

“The general view of the Committee was that there seemed to be a lack of a clear and timely plan to address the issues highlighted, including the sheer quantity of sewage being discharged. We would, therefore, be interested to know what steps are being taken by the Welsh Government to address this set of problems. I would be grateful for your reply by 15 May.”