As part of my volunteer Water Guardian duties, last weekend Mrs Jackson and I took part in the national Water Blitz citizen science survey of the nation’s water bodies. Our test kits were issued by Dorset Wildlife Trust and we measured nitrate and phosphate levels in the stretch of the Stour I patrol in Gillingham. I hope to see the full picture across the country very soon, but the single measurement we took by the railway bridge near the sewage treatment works showed high levels of nitrate and moderate levels of phosphate. Taken at that location, after a few dry days, these levels are likely to come from agriculture and sewage treatment. The shame is that I expected these sorts of readings: such is the state of our general expectations of our rivers these days.
Last week there was a well-meaning summit of water industry players who discussed how to restore river health and increase customer trust. In the same week the water industry lobby organisation, Water UK, issued a statement on the same subject of restoring trust. The main recommendations of both were to expose data to greater scrutiny and set up yet another body to independently measure sewage overflows into our rivers and seas.
I suspect that we have long held the view that water companies marking their own homework using dubious data has generally been a bad idea, proven by the many scandals of sewage dumping, dry pumping and poor corporate behaviour. There is work here to restore trust, but it’s much more likely to come from rigorous, joined up oversight and transparency by a rigorous and joined up independent regulatory system.
The Labour government tasked Jon Cunliffe to lead the Independent Water Commission to review and recommend the way forward for regulating the industry: he will report in June this year, but the National Audit Office (NAO) submitted their homework on this subject ahead of time on 24th April. The resulting report pointed to a range of problems.
The Environment Agency issues regulations and targets for rivers and water bodies – but takes no account of the costs and impact on customers. OFWAT regulates water companies individually – but no one is taking a national view of water supply, or of sewerage assets.
Given that there are more than 30 massive schemes to be delivered in the next ten years for new reservoirs and strategic water transfer schemes, costing tens of billions of pounds, someone needs to look at that big picture and make sure we – and the environment – get good value.
While regulators are under the microscope elsewhere for being too strong and standing in the way of growth, the water industry regulators badly need a shakeup. They are not nearly strong enough. Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for this for years, and we want to see OFWAT replaced by a Clean Water Authority that also deals with the wider regulatory problems above. Now at last it seems that change may be coming. Water pressure works.
Gary Jackson
North Dorset Liberal Democrats
