WITNEY MP Robert Courts has welcomed a new bill addressing sewage pollution.

The Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill, introduced to Parliament by MP Philip Dunne last year, has raised awareness of storm overflows.

Meanwhile, the joint industry-government ‘Storm Overflows Taskforce’ – made up of DEFRA, the Environment Agency, Ofwat, Consumer Council for Water, Blueprint for Water and Water UK – has agreed to set a target of eliminating harm from storm overflows.

Following recommendations from the taskforce, water companies will also increase transparency around when and how storm overflows are used.

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Storm overflows were designed to be used during extreme weather to prevent sewers becoming overloaded with a combination of sewage and rainwater, releasing diluted wastewater into rivers rather than letting it back up into people’s homes.

However increased rainfall has led to complications.

Thames Water recently agreed to Mr Courts’ demand to fund an independent investigation into the health of the River Windrush, to establish the source of the turbidity issues in the river.

Commenting on the recent developments, Mr Courts said: “The Government and the taskforce has committed to a series of short, medium and long-term actions focused on the ambitious goal of eliminating harm from storm overflows – a system that has been operating since the Victorian era.

“Making sure our local rivers are clean and healthy has been a priority of mine.

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“I welcome the announcement which, together with the measures in the Environment Bill, will ensure we tackle and ultimately end the harm of storm overflows.

“In addition to this decisive action nationally, I am continuing to keep the pressure on Thames Water locally.”

The Government’s Environment Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, will for the first time ever place a statutory requirement on water companies to produce drainage and sewerage management plans, committing them to network upgrades and to addressing the risks their sewerage assets may pose to the environment.

Mr Courts met with the Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow, last summer to highlight the issue of storm overflows in West Oxfordshire and to discuss ways in which the Environment Bill can address issues of river pollution.

He also raised the matter with the minister on the floor of the House of Commons, emphasising the ‘growing concern in West Oxfordshire about the condition of the River Windrush, and particularly sewage discharge’.