Conservative ‘failures’ have led to more sewage pollution, say water experts

Increased flooding blamed on years of government delays over ‘sponge cities’ rules Increased sewage pollution, urban flooding and water supply interruptions are the result of a decade of failures by the Conservative ministers, according to water experts who are demanding an independent inquiry into water be set up by the next government.

The repeated failure of the Tories to implement rules to create “sponge cities” has led to much more visible sewage pollution, more flooding and increasing instances of water being cut off for householders and businesses, they say.

Alastair Chisholm, the director of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, said: “These rules should have come in in 2011. They were canned by Eric Pickles in 2015 and we have had 13 years of delays. This has been kicked down the road and what is going on now is the result of that.”

He spoke as the institute published a comprehensive report at Westminster, which calls for the next government to order an independent investigation into water companies, who stand accused of widespread pollution and profiteering, and the regulators, who have failed to robustly control the privatised industry.

“Over 30 years on from water privatisation, with widespread urbanisation and agricultural intensification, a fresh approach – including potential reform of water regulators – is needed,” the report says.

“With levels of trust in water companies impacted by repeated reports of pollution and profiteering, both public and water practitioners want more transparency and assurance that companies are acting in the interest of society and the environment.”

The authors of the report interviewed professionals working in the water and environmental industries. Overwhelmingly, they expressed widespread dissatisfaction over water company ownership and operations. Just 6% of the experts questioned were supportive of a continuation of the current approach to ownership, corporate governance and regulation.

The report calls for the Conservative government to finally implement rules to create sponge cities after a decade in which ministers have delayed and attempted to scrap the plans. Sponge cities are urban zones with multiple areas of greenery, trees, ponds, soakaways, pocket parks and permeable paving to allow water to drain away. They also include measures to store rainwater and runoff, such as widespread use of water butts.

Increased runoff from rainfall overwhelms water company sewage systems, which have not been maintained and improved by water companies as a result of under-investment. The extra water increases the likelihood of raw sewage being discharged, while hard surfaces in towns and cities increase the risk of flooding.

In its latest business plan, Thames Water says by 2015 London had seen the biggest decrease in plant cover in front gardens of anywhere in the UK, with five times as many front gardens with no plants compared with the preceding 10 years.

This increased the burden on sewers and the risk of pollution, the company said.

But the Conservative government has repeatedly failed to implement rules under schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, which mandated developers to install sustainable drainage systems in new developments. Conservative ministers have argued the requirements will be too costly for developers.

The Guardian revealed last year that at least 10% of donations received by the Conservative party since 2010 came from property developers, real estate tycoons and others connected with the construction industry.

Public outcry over sewage pollution, and revelations about water companies’ abuse of storm overflows to dump raw sewage into rivers, which should only take place in exceptional circumstances, have forced the government to look again at schedule 3. But as yet it has not been made mandatory for developers.

“Sponge cities are not a new concept and are being delivered internationally to manage demands for growth amidst water – typically flood and drought – crises,” the report said.

“In the UK we have our own water crises spanning these same challenges of either too much or too little water, as well as pollution.

“Greening our urban spaces is a win-win approach on all these fronts. We must flip the mindset that treats rainwater as a waste product to be got rid of in the urban environment, into one where it is a treasured resource.”

The report, which polled 4,000 members of the public, found 71% of people in England believed water company profits should be restricted because of performance concerns. Two-thirds said companies made too much profit.

Cover photo: Sewage in the Thames in the village of Datchet in Berkshire. Photograph: Maureen McLean/REX/Shutterstock