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Sewage: South Suffolk

Asked by James CartlidgeConservativeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 1 April 2026UIN 123362

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce sewage discharged by water companies into rivers and estuaries in South Suffolk.

Answered by Emma Hardy

A record £104 billion of private sector investment has been secured to accelerate the cleaning up of our rivers, lakes and seas. This includes over £10 billion to improve about 2,500 storm overflows in England over the next five years.

The Environment Agency has appointed new dedicated regulation and enforcement teams to further hold water companies to account. In East Anglia, these teams have carried out more than 1,700 inspections of assets since April 2025, including 72 in the South Suffolk area, pushing companies to fix faults and meet discharge rules.

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