Claire Young MP welcomes scrapping of Ofwat

Thornbury & Yate MP Claire Young has welcomed the news that Ofwat is being replaced by a tougher water regulator, saying the change is ‘long overdue’.

Last year 2,036 sewage spills took place across Thornbury & Yate, lasting for a total of 28,360 hours – with the outlet at Badminton being the worst affected.

Scrapping Ofwat and bringing in much stronger regulation of water companies to tackle sewage dumping was a key commitment in the Liberal Democrat manifesto last year.

Commenting on the news, Claire Young MP said:

“I am pleased that action is finally being taken to tackle sewage dumping and clean up our rivers and waterways, after years of the Conservatives turning a blind eye to this scandal.

"The Liberal Democrats have led the way in demanding tougher action against sewage pollution, soaring bills and bloated bonuses for water company bosses. So I am glad Ministers have finally listened, although it’s a shame it took so long for them to act.

“This wouldn’t be happening without the incredible efforts of people calling for action across our area over many decades. Our communities are rightly fed up with rogue water companies polluting our rivers at the same time they’re hiking bills.

“But the fight is far from over. The government must now get on with setting up a new, stronger regulator who will actually crack down on sewage dumping, bring down bills, and ensure our waterways remain clean for everyone to enjoy in future.”