Environment secretary pledges to cut sewage pollution from water companies in half by 2030

The situation caput has pledged to halve sewage contamination from h2o companies by 2030.

The people - which is compared to 2024 levels - is to beryllium announced by Steve Reed connected Sunday greeting - erstwhile the Labour curate is besides acceptable to look connected Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.

The authorities says it is the archetypal clip ministers person acceptable a wide people to trim sewage pollution.

The people is portion of the government's efforts to respond to grounds sewage spills and rising h2o bills.

Ministers are besides aiming to chopped phosphorus - which causes harmful algae blooms - successful fractional by 2028.

Mr Reed said families had watched rivers, coastlines and lakes "suffer from grounds levels of pollution".

"My pledge to you: the authorities volition halve sewage contamination from h2o companies by the extremity of the decade," helium added.

The announcement comes up of the work of the Independent Water Commission's landmark reappraisal into the assemblage connected Monday morning.

The committee was established by the UK and Welsh governments arsenic portion of their associated effect to failures successful the industry, but ministers person already said they'll halt abbreviated of nationalising h2o companies.

On Friday, the Environment Agency published information which showed superior contamination incidents caused by h2o firms accrued by 60% successful England past year, compared with 2023.

Meanwhile, the watchdog has received a grounds £189m to enactment hundreds of enforcement officers for inspections and prosecutions.

"One of the largest infrastructure projects successful England's past volition cleanable up our rivers, lakes and seas for good," Mr Reed said.

But the Conservatives person accused the Labour authorities of having truthful acold "simply copied erstwhile Conservative authorities policy".

"Labour's h2o plans indispensable besides see credible proposals to amended the h2o system's resilience to droughts, without placing an further load connected measure payers and taxpayers," shadiness situation caput Victoria Atkins added.

The Rivers Trust says sewage and wastewater discharges person taken spot implicit the weekend, amid thunderstorms successful parts of the UK.

Discharges instrumentality spot to forestall the strategy from becoming overwhelmed, with tempest overflows utilized to merchandise other wastewater and rainwater into rivers and seas.

Water institution Southern Water said tempest releases are portion of the mode sewage and drainage systems crossed the satellite support homes, schools and hospitals from flooding.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed is owed to look connected Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips astatine 8.30am connected Sky News.