The Labour Party has pledged to place water companies under “special measures” amid rising concerns over public health and water quality.
Recent analysis of NHS data has revealed a dramatic increase in hospital admissions for waterborne diseases, with more than 10,000 people hospitalised since 2019 due to contamination in Britain’s rivers, lakes, and seas.
The surge in waterborne diseases has coincided with record levels of sewage pollution. In the past two years alone, the number of hospital cases linked to waterborne infections nearly doubled, with 3,261 cases recorded in 2022-2023—the highest figure since records began. Particularly alarming is the rise in Typhoid Fever, a disease usually associated with regions lacking proper sanitation. Last year, 603 cases of typhoid were reported, more than double the number recorded in 2022.
Environment Agency data from last year paints a grim picture, marking 2023 as the worst year for sewage spills since records began. Sewage was discharged into England’s waterways for a staggering 4 million hours in 2023. The number of discharges increased by 58%, with over 477,000 spills in 2023 compared to 301,091 in 2022.
In response, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, has unveiled comprehensive plans to address these issues and hold water companies accountable. Under Labour’s proposed measures, water regulators would have enhanced powers to prevent the payment of bonuses to executives of polluting companies until they rectify the contamination. Additionally, water company bosses who continue to oversee illegal activities would face criminal charges.
Labour’s strategy includes ending self-monitoring practices, implementing independent monitoring for all water outlets, and imposing severe fines for illegal sewage discharges. The party also plans to prioritise financial stability and infrastructure investment within the industry, ban plastic wet wipes that cause sewer blockages, and establish nine new National River Walks in England to open up more of the nation’s rivers for public enjoyment.
Steve Reed commented, “It is sickening that the Conservative Sewage scandal has put over ten thousand people in hospital. They just folded their arms and looked the other way while water companies pumped a tidal wave of raw sewage into our rivers, lakes, and seas, putting the nation’s health at risk. It is time for change. The next Labour government will put the water companies under special measures and strengthen regulation to force them to clean up their act. We will give the regulator tough new powers to make law-breaking water bosses face criminal charges and ban the payment of their multi-million pound bonuses until they clean up their toxic filth.”
