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

To ask His Majesty's Government who is responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of water quality monitors measuring sewage outflows; and whether it is possible for water companies to disable the monitors at critical times.

Water and Sewerage Companies have a regulatory obligation to monitor how long and how often their storm overflows discharge to the environment. This is called Event Duration Monitoring (EDM).

We have increased the number of storm overflows monitored across the network from 5% in 2016 to almost 90% now monitored, and we will reach 100% cover by December 2023. Using powers in the landmark Environment Act, we will also significantly improve transparency by requiring companies to make discharge data available in near real time to the public and monitor water quality upstream and downstream of their assets.

The Environment Agency has also instructed water companies to install new flow monitors on more than 2,000 wastewater treatment works to identify what is happening at those works during the sewage treatment process itself. The monitoring equipment and processes used by water companies are subject to scrutiny by the Environment Agency through inspection and audit. Where there is breach of permit conditions the Environment Agency may take enforcement action against the Water and Sewerage Company in line with its Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.