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 is taking to apply sufficient (a) regulatory and (b) financial pressures on water and sewerage companies to ensure the provision of drainage connections to rural communities.

The Government recognises the importance of having a robust drainage and wastewater system both now and for future demand. As part of the Environment Act 2021, a new duty has been created for sewerage undertakers in England and Wales to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs).

DWMPs set out how sewerage undertakers intend to improve their drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25 years, to account for growth, development and climate change.

These plans will help sewerage undertakers to fully assess the capacity of the drainage and wastewater network and develop collaborative solutions to current problems and future issues. The plans will bring together various stakeholders including local authorities and industry regulators.

Under Part IV of the Water Industry Act 1991, sewerage undertakers are required to provide, improve and extend a network of public sewers as to ensure that their areas are, and continue to be, effectually drained. Section 106 of the 1991 Act gives provisions for new connections to be made to the public sewerage network, including for the discharge of both foul and surface water.

Taking a strategic approach to drainage and wastewater management, will help to identify and mitigate issues related to insufficient network capacity or damaged infrastructure.