Water Industry: Financial Resilience

Robert Goodwill Excerpts
Wednesday 28th June 2023

(1 year, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Goodwill Portrait Sir Robert Goodwill (Scarborough and Whitby) (Con)
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Sewage treatment plants are all too often overwhelmed at times of heavy rain. As well as installing stormwater tanks, such as the new 4 million litre stormwater tank in Scarborough, does the Minister agree that we should do more to encourage homeowners to harvest grey water, which can buffer the effects of heavy rain, and use that for such things as flushing the toilet?

Rebecca Pow Portrait Rebecca Pow
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I thank my right hon. Friend for broadening the scope of the debate. We are in discussions with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities—many of these issues involve working with other Departments—on grey water harvesting and better using the rain that does fall. A farmer in Devon whom I visited was collecting all the water from his farm buildings roofs to supply his animals.