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 is taking to help ensure that enforcement action is taken against water companies that discharge sewage on dry days.

Last year the Government launched the most ambitious plan to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows in water company history, driving £56 billion capital investment over 25 years. Water companies will have to achieve targets which mean that, by 2050, no storm overflows will be permitted to operate outside of unusually heavy rainfall or to cause any adverse ecological harm.

The Environment Agency (EA) carries out investigations to determine when a dry spill has occurred. Storm Overflows, in general, should not spill on dry days. There is then a process of further investigation on a site-by-site basis to determine, for example, that the accuracy of certain rainfall monitors and drain down times are correct, as well as other factors. After this thorough process has been conducted, it can be determined if a breach has occurred with sufficient evidence for compliance and enforcement.

If overflows operate outside of permit conditions, the Agency will not hesitate to use all options for robust enforcement action.   This can include criminal prosecution by the Environment Agency for which there can be unlimited fines. On 12 July we began legislating to introduce unlimited civil penalties.