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Sewers: Property Development

Asked by Sojan JosephLabourDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 1 July 2026UIN 13693

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her department has made of the capacity and environmental performance of sewage treatment infrastructure serving new housing developments.

Answered by Emma Hardy

The Government now requires sewerage undertakers to plan ahead to manage drainage and wastewater. This is to ensure they meet future demand, support growth, and protect the environment.

These plans will help sewerage undertakers to fully assess the capacity of the drainage and wastewater network and develop collaborative solutions to current problems and future issues. The plans will bring together various stakeholders including local authorities and industry regulators.

Taking a strategic approach to drainage and wastewater management, will help to identify and mitigate issues related to insufficient network capacity or damaged infrastructure.

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