Stockport becomes first council to launch a sewage inquiry amid public outrage
EMBARGO: Immediate Release
-
Water company hauled in front of public meeting to defend thousands of hours worth of sewage discharges into rivers
-
The Environment Agency confirms in written evidence that water quality is “poor” and the Water Industry “is responsible”
-
Chair of the new inquiry Cllr Smart slams “a national scandal which pollutes our rivers and puts animals lives at risk”
Liberal Democrat run Stockport Council has become the first council in the country to launch an official Sewage Inquiry.
There is widespread outrage across Stockport after United Utilities dumped sewage into the river Mersey a staggering 977 times last year, lasting 3,271 hours. Across Stockport, the water firm discharged 13,372 hours of sewage discharges into local rivers.
Analysis of company house records by the Liberal Democrats found United Utilities are paying their executives over £2 million in bonuses despite polluting rivers across the North West, including the Lake District.
Local people are raising fears of dogs and children paddling in the River Goyt and the Mersey.
Councillor Lisa Smart is chairing the inquiry and last night heard the first oral evidence at a public meeting. United Utilities were asked questions by Lisa Smart on the eye-watering number of sewage dumps into rivers.
The inquiry has already received written evidence from the Environment Agency which found “Achieving Good Ecological Status or good water quality at an element level in these waterbodies will be extremely challenging and will largely be predicated on Water Industry investment”.
Once the inquiry is complete, Cllr Smart will publish a report with recommendations to both United Utilities and the Government.
Chair of the Stockport Sewage Inquiry, Liberal Democrat Councillor Lisa Smart, said:
“The sewage crisis risks ruining our treasured rivers forever. People in Stockport are furious that water companies are being allowed to get away with it.
"United Utilities are rewarding their executives with eye-watering bonuses whilst local people fear walking their dogs along our local rivers and streams such as the Mersey, the Goyt and Poise Brook. We also have Otters who live in the area and are being forced to swim in foul sewage.
“This is a national scandal which pollutes our rivers and puts animals' lives at risk.
“If the Government won’t act, then we will. I am proud to chair the first ever official inquiry into sewage being discharged into rivers. Conservative Ministers have ignored local people in Stockport for too long on the sewage crisis. Now our voices will be heard at last”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Sewage discharge figures provided by Environment Agency data 2021/2022
Environment Agency written evidence to the inquiry here
Analysis of water company annual returns by the Liberal Democrats:
Water Company Executive Remuneration 2021/22 | |||||
Company | Number of Execs | Base Pay | Bonuses, Benefits and Incentives | Pension | Total Exec Remuneration per Company |
Anglian Water | 2 | £934,265 | £1,182,959 | £106,572 | £2,223,796 |
Northumbrian Water | 1 | £384,000 | £222,000 | £42,000 | £648,000 |
Severn Trent Water | 2 | £1,209,200 | £4,508,800 | £221,300 | £5,939,300 |
Southern Water | 2 | £737,300 | £1,437,900 | £123,600 | £2,298,800 |
South West Water | 2 | £410,000 | £788,000 | £54,000 | £1,252,000 |
Thames Water | 4 | £1,544,000 | £1,522,000 | £174,000 | £3,240,000 |
United Utilities | 2 | £1,189,000 | £2,807,000 | £222,000 | £4,218,000 |
Wessex Water | 4 | £981,000 | £726,000 | £186,000 | £1,893,000 |
Yorkshire | 3 | £826,000 | £1,143,000 | £84,000 | £2,053,000 |
Dwr Cymru / Welsh Water | 2 | £595,000 | £394,000 | £130,000 | £1,119,000 |
Total | 22 | £8,809,765 | £14,731,659 | £1,343,472 | £24,884,896 |
Per exec |
| £400,444 | £669,621 | £61,067 | £1,131,132 |
Compared to previous year |
| £85,577 | £102,748 | £4,765 | £193,090 |
% change |
| 27.18% | 18.13% | 8.46% | 20.58% |
