The Government's announcement that water regulator OFWAT is to be abolished is a significant success for the Liberal Democrats, who have campaigned for years for a regulator with teeth. But it will still be a long time before a new regulator is in place, and the water industry needs a complete overhaul, not just a new regulator. That's why we still need your help to make sure that water companies pay for the work to stop sewage dumping, not continued dividends for shareholders.
In 2024, sewage was dumped into Greater Manchester’s rivers last year for over 92,000 hours – including 4,767 hours across Stockport. The Goyt, Mersey, Tame, and Poise Brook and Etherow are being choked with pollution as water bills soar to eye-watering levels.
The Government is letting them get away with it and are leaving taxpayers to pay to fix the problem. With the latest legislation passed by Government, they even allowed water companies to pollute our waters unchecked until 2035.
Lib Dem run Stockport Council was the first council in the country to launch an official Sewage Inquiry.
Water companies need to clean up their own mess and stop dumping sewage in our rivers and lakes.
It's time for a 16% sewage tax on their £2.2 billion annual profits to improve our sewage system and protect our rivers and lakes.
Show your support for the campaign by signing our petition today…
I/we the undersigned call upon the Government to stop water companies from dumping sewage into our lakes, rivers and seas, by taxing the £2.2bn annual profits of water companies to improve our sewage system.
The Liberal Democrats have a clear plan to end this scandal – and we’re taking action. In Parliament, Lisa Smart MP and the Lib Dems are fighting to scrap the failing regulator Ofwat, hold water companies to account, and introduce a new ‘Blue Flag’ status to guarantee clean, safe rivers for everyone to enjoy.
Our priorities:
🚫 End the Sewage Scandal – for good: No more excuses. Stop water companies dumping filth into our rivers.
🔁 Replace the failed regulator Ofwat: Bring in a watchdog with teeth – one that can actually enforce the rules.
💸 Hold profit-soaked water bosses to account: No bonuses for polluters. Make them clean up their mess.
🏅 Introduce Blue Flag status for rivers: Gold-standard clean water: safe for swimming, safe for wildlife and safe for us.
🌿 Protect our wildlife, our children and our countryside: Let’s leave a cleaner, safer environment for the next generation.
A steep cut in government funding for the Canal and River Trust (CRT) in its new 10 year settlement seems set to lead to the closure of a number of canals, and damage the canal system and the wildlife that depends on them
• Only two rivers nationwide safe enough to swim in • United Utilities told to ‘clean up their act’
Sewage damage to a field in Romiley has stopped plans to plant new woodland in their tracks after surveys showed the pollution could be too toxic for the trees.
Tests of river samples by volunteers have shown that the levels of phosphates in the River Goyt are 10 times the recommended limit.
Cllr Lisa Smart has taken the Government and water companies to task over their failure to stop millions of tonnes of raw sewage from entering our rivers and lakes each year.
