River Severn Third Most Polluted in the UK by Sewage
The Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Montgomeryshire & Glyndŵr Cllr Glyn Preston has called today for a new Blue Flag status to protect rivers from pollution, as analysis by the Liberal Democrats reveals the River Severn is the third worst-hit river in England and Wales for sewage dumping.
Last year sewage was dumped into the River Severn for over 30,000 hours with an astonishing 3,057 spills in total. This makes it the third worst-hit river in England and Wales after the River Calder and River Avon.
Across the UK, sewage was dumped into England and Wales’ rivers for a shocking 4.5 million hours last year, with 559,546 sewage spills in total. This is equivalent to an average of over 1,500 sewage dumps into rivers every single day.
Other Welsh Rivers in the top 10 worst hit include the River Teifi in Ceredigion and River Tawe in South Powys / the Swansea Valleys.
Glyn Preston, the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Montgomeryshire & Glyndŵr at the next General Election also sits as the County Councillor for Llanidloes, near the source of the River Severn. He has called for a new Blue Flag status for rivers to help protect the natural environment of waterways like the Severn.
Under the Lib Dem proposals, rivers could be designated with the special status to protect them from pollution, including water companies discharging sewage into them. This would also give river swimmers the knowledge that certain environmental standards were being met, meaning they could swim in them without fear of getting sick. Water companies that continued to dump their sewage into Blue Flag rivers would face punitive fines.
Commenting Cllr Glyn Preston said:
“I grew up in Llandinam swimming in the Severn and now represent Llanidloes near the source of the River. I know just how much the future of the River Severn means to my community and to those across the entire Constituency and I don’t want to see future generations deprived of the same opportunities I had.
“Yet both the UK Conservative Government and Welsh Labour Government are utterly failing to take this issue with the seriousness it deserves.
“Our natural environment is so important here in Mid Wales, not just because of the extraordinary wildlife that can be found, but also because the tourist industry is a massive part of the local economy.
“It is an environmental scandal and Conservative and Labour Ministers are letting water companies get away with it.
“The public is rightly furious that their local rivers are being spoiled while water company bosses line their pockets with big bonuses.
“We urgently need a new Blue Flag status to protect our rivers, an end to excessive bonuses and more punitive fines for water companies that continue to pump their filthy sewage into them.”
ENDS
