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<p>Tackling the harm caused by sewer overflows is a top priority for this department.</p><p>
</p><p>To achieve this, the new Storm Overflows Taskforce - bringing together Government,
the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs - has agreed to set a long-term
goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows. The Taskforce is meeting regularly and
working on plans to start making progress towards that goal, and they have commissioned
research to gather evidence on the costs, benefits and feasibility of different options.</p><p>
</p><p>We are also introducing new duties that will require the Government to publish
a plan by September 2022 to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows and to report
progress to Parliament on implementing that plan. We are also introducing duties requiring
water companies and the Environment Agency to publish data on storm overflow operations
on an annual basis. These legally binding obligations on water companies and Government
will reduce pollution in rivers, protecting wildlife and public health.</p><p> </p><p>The
Environment Secretary and the Environment Agency Chair have met with underperforming
water companies to discuss how Government and industry can work together to drive
better environmental performance. The Environment Secretary has set out clear expectations
for water companies to improve their environmental performance in the future. I have
also met water company CEOs and made clear that the volume of sewage discharged into
rivers and other waterways in extreme weather must be reduced.</p><p> </p><p>Water
companies are committed in the five-year business planning period (2020-25) to a significant
programme of improvements to the monitoring and management of storm overflows at a
cost of around £1.1 billion. This investment includes undertaking 800 investigations
and 798 improvement schemes to provide environmental improvements by reducing spills
from frequently spilling overflows.</p><p> </p><p>With regards to penalties and enforcement,
the Environment Agency currently regulates water companies in their operation of storm
overflows to ensure they only discharge under strict permitted conditions. Where discharges
occur outside of these conditions, the Environment Agency investigates and takes appropriate
action, which includes enforcement action if necessary.</p><p> </p><p>Environment
Agency action has resulted in 48 prosecutions against water companies in the last
six years, securing fines of £35 million. £10.4 million has also been donated to environmental
and wildlife trusts organisations in the same period through enforcement undertakings,
a voluntary agreement which will include a donation to environmental charities to
restore any harm done. The Environment Agency will continue to take enforcement action
against water companies which fail to uphold the law or cause serious environmental
harm.</p>
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