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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to (a) increase monitoring of sewage pollution and (b) improve compliance with regulations by water companies.

Since 1 January 2025, water companies are required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. The Secretary of State has authorised Ofwat to carry out enforcement action for this duty, in accordance with the powers conferred under sections 18 and 141DA (4) of the Water Industry Act 1991.

Ofwat is currently developing guidance, which it will publish in due course, to ensure water companies are meeting this duty. In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 will introduce a matching duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. Once commenced, this duty will be enforced in the same way, further enhancing our monitoring of the storm overflow network and increasing transparency.

Furthermore, the Water (Special Measures) Act will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. This includes powers for Ofwat to set rules on remuneration and governance, and financial reporting, and new powers for the Environment Agency (EA) to impose automatic penalties, and penalties to the lower, civil standard of proof.