Victoria Collins MP demands overhaul of broken water industry

Lib Dem MP, Victoria Collins is demanding that Andy Burnham make the radical overhaul of the broken water industry one of his first acts as Prime Minister. 

It follows new analysis of data revealing the devastating scale of environmental damage in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, where Thames Water dumped sewage into local waterways for a staggering 3876 hours last year across 205 separate spills.

With only around 200 chalk streams in the whole world, often called England’s rainforests, we must protect them. Due to the chalk in the river, the temperature and purity of the unpolluted water provide a perfect habitat for a wealth of wildlife. More than that, these are places families love to play from Batford Springs to the ford at Redbournbury Mill.

Data from the Ver Valley Society's E. coli monitoring shows that the River Ver has recorded E. coli levels far above the standard for safe bathing. While an "excellent" inland bathing water has 500 colony-forming units (cfu) per 100mL or less, and anything over 900cfu is rated "poor", tests in this area have recorded levels exceeding 2,000cfu on a regular basis. 

Victoria Collins MP and the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Prime Minister to put water companies into special administration and transform them into public-benefit mutuals, replace Ofwat with a powerful new Clean Water Authority, force firms to report the volume as well as the duration of sewage spills, introduce a legally binding ban on water company executive bonuses, and ensure Number 10 adviser James Purnell plays no role in decisions on Thames Water due to his previous work advising private utilities and major investors. 

Liberal Democrat MP, Victoria Collins for Harpeden and Berkhamsted said:

"For years, people across my constituency have watched in anger as our local chalk streams like the River Ver at Markyate have endured filthy sewage spills, all while foreign asset managers and corporate executives pocket billions.

"It is an absolute insult to local families that Thames Water routinely trashes our environment and our water bills continue to rise.

"Andy Burnham has a clear choice in his first weeks in Number 10: stand up for communities like ours in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, or let the same broken, polluting system continue. 

“We need a clean break from the failed privatisation experiment, wiping the slate clean of vulture capital debt and handing our water infrastructure back to the people who actually use and rely on it."