Severn Trent boss admits it needs to improve as it pledges £100m to clean rivers
The boss of Severn Trent has admitted that the water giant is not acting on water protection as much as the public, and government, need.
Severn Trent and Anglian Water have pledged to bolster their efforts in improving their practices, after environment minister Rebecca Pow last month urged water companies to reduce how much sewage is dispersed into rivers.
“Public perception wants us to move faster,” chief executive Liv Garfield told PA last night, adding that the industry “hasn’t managed to keep pace with expectations”.
“When you look at the evidence in the data, the situation improves year on year.”
The frequency and volume of sewage pouring into rivers from storm overflows has been a looming issue for water companies since Brexit.
The government last September gave the green light to dump sewage that has not been properly processed into rivers and the sea, as Brexit and the pandemic disrupted normal water treatment.
Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) had meant it was more difficult to get hold of water treatment chemicals, as supply chain disruption at ports was intensified by Covid-19.
Using measures from the Environment Agency, Severn and Anglian have since pledged to make sure storm overflows and sewage treatment works do not harm rivers.
Severn is expected to invest around £100m each year into the new plans, which also include helping wildlife and helping people have more access to rivers.
Anglian CEO Peter Simpson added: “As the Environment Bill became the Environment Act, we made it clear we felt even more action was needed to ensure the future health of our rivers – by coming together as an industry, securing the right investment as part of the regulatory process, and working collaboratively with other sectors.
“We firmly believe in the power of collaboration to solve big challenges, which is why it’s vital we bring the right people together.
“Get River Positive is the start of a movement, of tangible action that will deliver the changes we all want to see.”