Context

  1. Ofwat has overseen a failed regulation regime that has led to our rivers and seas being polluted with sewage whilst water companies accrue debt and take dividends, which the public pays for.
  2. Campaign groups from across the country came together earlier this year to make a joint declaration of what we expect. This should be informing Ofwat. This is our declaration which was sent to every MP and to regulators and water companies.

Key messages we will be using in the run up to PR24

  1. Ofwat has failed to protect our rivers and seas from sewage pollution. Ofwat, PR24 is your chance to prove you can clean up the mess.
  2. PR24 must stop illegal pollution.
  3. The engineering and nature based solutions to cleaning up our rivers and seas are known. PR24 must implement the known solutions before irrevocable damage is done to our rivers and seas.
  4. Ofwat is our regulator it should protect the public not the polluters. PR24 must demonstrate that it delivers what the public wants. The public wants rivers and seas fit for people and wildlife.
  5. The public has paid. Ofwat has assured us that the public will not pay twice. Water companies have said that they had the funds to maintain our sewage infrastructure and be compliant with the law. That’s what we paid for. PR24 must deliver the infrastructure that should have been in place without adding to our bills.

Campaign groups to add for instance:

  • For our river to be compliant with the legislation we expect to see no more than 4 storm overflow discharges per year. PR24 must deliver the plan to secure this.
  • We have xxx illegal discharges a year into our river. We expect PR24 to stop this illegal pollution
  • PR24 must ensure we have Event Duration Monitoring data for the overflows in our river and that these overflows are compliant with their permit.

What campaign groups can do now:

  1. Set out what you expect from PR24 locally
  2. Check the water company submissions and be ready to send letters to your MP when the water companies business plans are released on the 2nd OCtober, if the plans to not achieve what we set out above.