MPs demand more from United Utilities

New MPs Lisa Smart and Tom Morrison have written to United Utilities chief executive Louise Beardmore requesting a face to face meeting to challenge the water company on the levels of sewage dumping in local rivers and waterways.

With local waterways being dumped in for thousands of hours in the past year, sewage was a major issue in the general election campaign, and the two new MPs have immediately taken action.

Tom said: “The Conservative Government, and OFWAT, did not do enough to ensure that water companies delivered the standards that people expect as a bare minimum.

“At Parliament, the Lib Dems have called for OFWAT to be replaced with a regulator with more teeth, the Clean Water Authority. We also want to build a working relationship with United Utilities so that we can take people’s concerns directly to them.

The MPs offered to meet the chief executive at one of the waterways which has been heavily impacted by the sewage dumping.

Lisa said: “This came up time and time again on the doorsteps, and I have received dozens of emails in response to OFWAT allowing water companies to hike their prices again.

“When local children have ended up in hospital after simply playing in the river, it really brings home what a problem this is. People expected more from their MPs – I intend to make a real difference, which is why we’ve immediately taken this up.”