Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of reform to wastewater management, including on the potential merits of a polluter pays principle to fund additional treatment to remove chemical pollution from wastewater containing PFAS.

The Government is committed to improving our water environment through tackling harmful pollutants in wastewater.

Following the publication of the White Paper, ‘A new vision for water’ , the Government is currently exploring a range of reforms, including to the Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulations 1994. The aim is to deliver a more systematic approach to drainage and wastewater management, including enabling pre-pipe solutions, to drive the best outcomes for customers and the environment.

Additionally, over the next five years, over £10 billion is being spent on storm overflows investment in England, improving over 2,500 storm overflows to reduce spills. In addition, nearly £5 billion is being invested in upgrades at wastewater treatment works to remove phosphorus – a key cause of nutrient pollution in the environment.

The Government has also changed the law so regulators can recover costs of enforcement, meaning polluters pay, not the public. As a result, Environment Agency funding will rise by 64%, enabling more enforcement officers, better equipment, and the latest technology.