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David Levy – House of Lords Update on Environment Bill – Sep 21

Tomorrow, 2nd September, is the deadline for amendments that are to be tabled for voting in the House of Lords.

Each Peer who has earlier put forward amendments now has to reduce the number to one amendment per Clause of the Bill.   As a result, this week has been one of meetings and selection of amendments to ascertain what will get the House’s support and what will not.

Today the Duke of Wellington has to choose from his plethora of amendments, each of which is worthy in its own right.   He has to decide on just one to push forward.   This is due to the Government’s control of the business of the House.   The Government is trying to manipulate their Lordships and guiding them towards those amendments which they can live with and away from those they can’t.

Yes, we are on the home stretch and decisions will now be made on depth of character, tenacity, resolve and mutual support across the parties.   It’s a close call.   Until Friday 3rd September, we do not know how things will pan out.   Still everything to play for.

Marinet has made it very clear to the Duke of Wellington that placing a duty on Government is what is required to break the log jam of inaction on discharges to the environment via the CSOsCSO The sewerage system generally carries surface water from rain falling on paved areas (roads, pavements, roofs, etc.) via a separate sewer from the sewer which carries foul water (sewage). Surface water sewers are generally low in contamination and are allowed to discharge direct to rivers and sea with no treatment, whereas foul sewers go to a sewage treatment works. When there is heavy or prolonged rainfall sewage treatment works may receive some of this rainwater and thus become overloaded. In these circumstances they need to overflow, discharging the overflow with little or no treatment. This overflow either goes direct to a river or the sea or, more commonly, into a surface water sewer which already connects with a river or the sea. This event, when a surface water sewer is compelled to accept poorly or untreated foul water, turns the surface water sewer into a combined sewer (surface and foul water) on account of the foul water sewer overflowing into it. When this happens the discharge from the surface water sewer is known as a ‘combined sewer overflow’. (combined sewer overflows).   The Government is resisting real remedial action, and our amendment has struck home within DEFRA and Government who have repeatedly come back with further amendments of their own, but none of which place a legal duty and obligation on the water companies to plan and deliver year on year progressive improvement.

The water industry say they are doing this, but do not want this as a duty in law.   This demonstrates that their existing actions and changes are not sufficient and will not deliver a better outcome.

In truth, until retrospective and current separation of foul sewage pipes from surface water drainage pipes are forced through on new builds and council planning consents, then nobody can be assured that this change will happen.   Instead it is likely the opposite will happen and things will get worse.   This means that the increase in CSOCSO The sewerage system generally carries surface water from rain falling on paved areas (roads, pavements, roofs, etc.) via a separate sewer from the sewer which carries foul water (sewage). Surface water sewers are generally low in contamination and are allowed to discharge direct to rivers and sea with no treatment, whereas foul sewers go to a sewage treatment works. When there is heavy or prolonged rainfall sewage treatment works may receive some of this rainwater and thus become overloaded. In these circumstances they need to overflow, discharging the overflow with little or no treatment. This overflow either goes direct to a river or the sea or, more commonly, into a surface water sewer which already connects with a river or the sea. This event, when a surface water sewer is compelled to accept poorly or untreated foul water, turns the surface water sewer into a combined sewer (surface and foul water) on account of the foul water sewer overflowing into it. When this happens the discharge from the surface water sewer is known as a ‘combined sewer overflow’. sewage discharges which we have seen will continue, and new requirements to record these discharges via monitoring will continue to show a deterioration in performance.

What the water industry is trying to do is lessen their public loss of face.   They are attempting to do this by placing the blame firmly on the factory farms and agriculture, whilst doing little about cleaning up their own act.   They attempt to deceive, but to me they are transparent and blatantly irresponsible.   The consequence of this will continue to be felt in the environment, and by river quality in particular.

Very few understand the depth of debate which their Lordships have held so far.   They have genuinely held the Government to account, but they are constitutionally limited in power to exert the kind of influence required to deliver the kind of change that is needed today.

Now is the time to trust someone, and I have to say his Grace the Duke of Wellington has been the best advocate we could have wished for.

David Levy