WATER companies’ commitments to invest more than £180 million to tackle sewage spills must ensure that it’s not left to consumers to pay to clean up the mess, campaigners have said.
Fast-tracked investment made by several water companies in England will support the effort to introduce storm overflow prevention measures by April 2025.
These include artificial intelligence systems, accelerated wetland programmes, installing new in-sewer monitors and recruiting and training specialist staff.
The government announced the firms’ commitment today. It said it expects the measures to prevent more than 8,000 spills from polluting English waterways.
Since water utilities were privatised in 1989, government and regulators have failed to ensure adequate investment in the industry’s infrastructure as bosses have instead chosen to line the pockets of themselves and their…
