Liberal Democrats demand water industry overhaul after 5,803 hours of sewage spills in West Worcestershire

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire Dan Boatright-Greene has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to make fundamentally reforming the country’s broken water industry one of his first priorities in office.

New analysis of Environment Agency data reveals the scale of sewage pollution in West Worcestershire, where Severn Trent discharged sewage into local waterways for 5,803 hours last year across 842 separate spills last year.

The constituency is crossed by three major rivers—the Avon, Severn and Teme—alongside numerous smaller brooks and tributaries. These waterways are at the heart of local communities and should be clean, thriving environments for residents and wildlife.

Following years of environmental failures, rising bills and financial mismanagement across the water industry, the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to replace the failed privatised model with customer-owned public-benefit mutuals.

Under the proposals, water companies would be run in the interests of customers, public health and the environment rather than private profit.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to:

• Transition existing water companies into customer-owned public-benefit mutuals, ensuring that they are run for public health and the environment rather than private profit.
• Abolish the ineffective regulator Ofwat and replace it with a powerful new Clean Water Authority, with statutory powers to enforce strict environmental standards and take action against repeat offenders in West Worcestershire and across the country.
• End the Great Sewage Cover-Up by requiring water companies to report the volume of sewage discharged, rather than only the number and duration of spills.
• Introduce an immediate, legally binding ban on water company executive bonuses, without loopholes.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire Dan Boatright-Greene said: “For years, people across West Worcestershire have watched with anger as sewage has been discharged into the Avon, Severn, Teme and our smaller local waterways, while water company shareholders and executives continue to benefit.

 “It is an insult to local families that Severn Trent continues to report substantial profits while our rivers are polluted and household water bills keep rising.

 “Andy Burnham has a clear choice in his first weeks in Number 10: stand up for communities such as ours and deliver the fundamental reform the water industry desperately needs, or allow the same broken and polluting system to continue.

“We need a clean break from the failed privatisation model. That means tackling unsustainable debt and ensuring that our water infrastructure is run in the interests of the people and communities who depend on it—not distant shareholders.

“Our rivers should be among West Worcestershire’s greatest natural assets. Local people deserve clean waterways, genuine accountability and a water industry that puts customers and the environment first.”