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Water: Standards

Asked by Steve DarlingLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 5 September 2024UIN 2585

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure water quality monitoring data is published all year round.

Answered by Emma Hardy

The Environment Act places monitoring duties on the water industry to improve transparency and reduce harm from sewage discharges. As outlined in Section 82, the Continuous Water Quality Monitoring programme will require water companies to continuously measure the quality of water upstream and downstream of their storm overflows and sewage disposal works.

In addition, the Government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill will require independent event duration monitoring of all sewage outlets, to support greater scrutiny of water company activity.

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