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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to prevent slurry being illegally dumped into rivers.

Water quality is a devolved issue and I can only respond with respect to England.

Slurry is a highly polluting organic effluent generated by livestock and is strictly controlled through regulations. Illegal dumping of slurry in a river could kill fish and aquatic life and cause bacterial contamination of drinking water supplies.

Under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010, it is an offence to discharge polluting material to a watercourse without a permit. The use of properly constructed and maintained stores greatly reduces the risk of significant pollution events. The Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (England) Regulations 2010 as amended in 2013 set minimum requirements for the construction of these facilities. The Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2015 prohibit the spreading of slurry where there is a significant risk that it may get into surface water. The Code of Good Agricultural Practice sets out guidance for the management of slurries.

Details of how to comply with all these regulations are published on GOV.UK.

The Environment Agency uses data it gathers from its monitoring networks and the evidence it gathers from its catchment walkovers to identify potential risks. It advises operators on managing their effluents safely. Where required, the Environment Agency can also take enforcement action ranging from warning letters through to formal notices and prosecution to bring people back into compliance with the law.