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To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 4381 on Water Supply: Eastleigh, if she will take steps to ensure that Southern Water addresses the more than 400 maintenance-related improvements identified across its wastewater assets between...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 4381 on Water Supply: Eastleigh, if she will take steps to ensure that Southern Water addresses the more than 400 maintenance-related improvements identified across its wastewater assets between...
Water companies are accountable for maintaining their assets and must address issues identified through Environment Agency (EA) inspections, meeting deadlines set by it as the regulator.
Timescales for improvements are set by the EA on a case-by-case basis.
The EA continues to regulate Southern Water closely and will take enforcement action where necessary to ensure timely improvements and protect the safety, reliability and resilience of infrastructure serving Eastleigh.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the level of customer engagement undertaken by Southern Water and Portsmouth Water on the acceptability of effluent recycling, and whether she plans to require earlier and more robust consultation.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the level of customer engagement undertaken by Southern Water and Portsmouth Water on the acceptability of effluent recycling, and whether she plans to require earlier and more robust consultation.
Southern Water is due to submit its Development Consent Order application to the Planning Inspectorate for its scrutiny in May 2026. There will be further opportunity for representations to be made through any subsequent Examination in Public.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of Southern Water’s progress against RAPID requirements at Gates 2 and 3, and what steps she is taking in response to repeated findings of outstanding actions and insufficient evidence.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of Southern Water’s progress against RAPID requirements at Gates 2 and 3, and what steps she is taking in response to repeated findings of outstanding actions and insufficient evidence.
The Hampshire Water Transfer Water Recycling project has successfully passed RAPID gate two and gate three.
Through the RAPID assessment process, RAPID and its partner regulators can set priority actions and recommendations in areas where they determine more work is needed. All priority actions and recommendations set at both gates have been completed. Any outstanding actions will be addressed through the Gate 4 assessment process.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Southern Water’s appraisal of alternative water resource options in its draft Water Resources Management Plan 2024, following the plan’s rejection by regulators in 2023.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Southern Water’s appraisal of alternative water resource options in its draft Water Resources Management Plan 2024, following the plan’s rejection by regulators in 2023.
Defra is currently reviewing advice provided by regulators in respect to Southern Water’s Water Resources Management Plan and the strategic water resource options included within it. Defra will make a decision on the next steps in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2026 to Written Question UIN 106814, whether a response has been received from Southern Water.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2026 to Written Question UIN 106814, whether a response has been received from Southern Water.
Polluting our waterways is unacceptable. It is only right that Southern Water has taken responsibility for the appalling pollution incident on the south coast in November, and I have been clear that the sector as a whole must step up and do better for our people, and for the environment. The Environment Agency’s investigation into the pollution incident is ongoing and we expect conclusions in the coming weeks. The Government is taking decisive action to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with Southern Water on (a) the significant pollution incident on the south coast of England in October 2025 and (b) the steps it is taking to ensure that its infrastructure is functioning...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with Southern Water on (a) the significant pollution incident on the south coast of England in October 2025 and (b) the steps it is taking to ensure that its infrastructure is functioning...
The Secretary of State and I are in close contact with the Environment Agency, which is now conducting an active investigation into the incident. Southern Water will be subject to a PACE interview; a formal, legally regulated interview under the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act 1984. The Environment Agency has also conducted detailed inspections of the Eastbourne wastewater treatment works and is overseeing the improvement works being carried out by Southern Water.
I have written to Water Companies to further emphasise the need for the sector to ensure that these sorts of incidents do not occur, to reiterate how unacceptable the pollution incident at Camber Sands is, and to stress the positive action Water Companies must take to ensure their infrastructure is functioning correctly.
Water companies should take all necessary precautions to ensure all equipment is properly constructed and maintained to prevent the unauthorised or accidental escape of bio-beads from wastewater treatment works into the environment. The Government is looking into developing new standards for infrastructure resilience which, coupled with robust water company planning through Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans and the new statutory Pollution Incident Reduction Plans, will drive investment to improve wastewater assets and reduce pollution into our environment.
The people I represent are fed up with Southern Water, when it comes to everything from sewage and broken pipes to water outages, even on Christmas day. In November, millions of plastic beads washed up on our beaches, and we discovered that they came from a Southern Water treatment plant. I am campaigning for water companies to stop using this outdated plastic bead method, and to bin the beads. We are really concerned about the impact on wildlife, and have a massive clean-up operation on our hands. More than 5,000 people have already supported my campaign with the Sussex Wildlife Trust. Does the Prime Minister share my horror about this dereliction of duty by Southern Water, and will he join me in calling for it to face the full force of the law for that terrible pollution incident?
The people I represent are fed up with Southern Water, when it comes to everything from sewage and broken pipes to water outages, even on Christmas day. In November, millions of plastic beads washed up on our beaches, and we discovered that they came from a Southern Water treatment plant. I am campaigning for water companies to stop using this outdated plastic bead method, and to bin the beads. We are really concerned about the impact on wildlife, and have a massive clean-up operation on our hands. More than 5,000 people have already supported my campaign with the Sussex Wildlife Trust. Does the Prime Minister share my horror about this dereliction of duty by Southern Water, and will he join me in calling for it to face the full force of the law for that terrible pollution incident?
I credit my hon. Friend with having helped to expose this scandal, and with working with everyone in her community to volunteer to clean up the beaches. That is the very best of who we are. People are right to be furious that, for far too long, water companies were allowed to get away with polluting our seas and beaches. The Environment Agency is leading a full investigation. More generally, we are ending unfair bonuses for polluting water bosses, abolishing Ofwat, and introducing tougher penalties to hold companies to account.
I credit my hon. Friend with having helped to expose this scandal, and with working with everyone in her community to volunteer to clean up the beaches. That is the very best of who we are. People are right to be furious that, for far too long, water companies were allowed to get away with polluting our seas and beaches. The Environment Agency is leading a full investigation. More generally, we are ending unfair bonuses for polluting water bosses, abolishing Ofwat, and introducing tougher penalties to hold companies to account.
I credit my hon. Friend with having helped to expose this scandal, and with working with everyone in her community to volunteer to clean up the beaches. That is the very best of who we are. People are right to be furious that, for far too long, water companies were allowed to get away with polluting our seas and beaches. The Environment Agency is leading a full investigation. More generally, we are ending unfair bonuses for polluting water bosses, abolishing Ofwat, and introducing tougher penalties to hold companies to account.
The people I represent are fed up with Southern Water, when it comes to everything from sewage and broken pipes to water outages, even on Christmas day. In November, millions of plastic beads washed up on our beaches, and we discovered that they came from a Southern Water treatment plant. I am campaigning for water companies to stop using this outdated plastic bead method, and to bin the beads. We are really concerned about the impact on wildlife, and have a massive clean-up operation on our hands. More than 5,000 people have already supported my campaign with the Sussex Wildlife Trust. Does the Prime Minister share my horror about this dereliction of duty by Southern Water, and will he join me in calling for it to face the full force of the law for that terrible pollution incident?
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) Ofwat and (b) the Environment Agency on the biobeads spill in Sussex; and whether Southern Water will be fined for that spill.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) Ofwat and (b) the Environment Agency on the biobeads spill in Sussex; and whether Southern Water will be fined for that spill.
Environment Agency (EA) officers have been working with all local partners on the initial and long term clean up strategy and have gathered the necessary evidence from impacted areas. The EA will apply their enforcement and sanctions policy when deciding on an appropriate enforcement response.
Like the hon. Member, I am appalled by this plastic pollution incident, which affects his constituency, nearby constituencies and Camber Sands. We are holding Southern Water to account. There needs to be a thorough investigation of what happened, and as has been said by the Minister with responsibility for water and flooding, my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (Emma Hardy) —she has been in touch with both the water company and the Environment Agency—the immediate priority is to address the damage caused, but we need to ask questions about why this was not uncovered earlier. The water Minister or I would be happy to meet him.
Like the hon. Member, I am appalled by this plastic pollution incident, which affects his constituency, nearby constituencies and Camber Sands. We are holding Southern Water to account. There needs to be a thorough investigation of what happened, and as has been said by the Minister with responsibility for water and flooding, my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (Emma Hardy) —she has been in touch with both the water company and the Environment Agency—the immediate priority is to address the damage caused, but we need to ask questions about why this was not uncovered earlier. The water Minister or I would be happy to meet him.
T3
.
Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD):
Catastrophic failures at Southern Water’s water treatment works in Eastbourne have led to extensive sewage discharges, a stench stinking out our town, and, a matter of days ago, the accidental discharge of millions of plastic bio-beads into our sea. Will the Minister urgently meet me to discuss how we can force Southern Water to finally get a grip of its appalling failures at our water treatment works?
T3
.
Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD):
Catastrophic failures at Southern Water’s water treatment works in Eastbourne have led to extensive sewage discharges, a stench stinking out our town, and, a matter of days ago, the accidental discharge of millions of plastic bio-beads into our sea. Will the Minister urgently meet me to discuss how we can force Southern Water to finally get a grip of its appalling failures at our water treatment works?
T3
.
Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD):
Catastrophic failures at Southern Water’s water treatment works in Eastbourne have led to extensive sewage discharges, a stench stinking out our town, and, a matter of days ago, the accidental discharge of millions of plastic bio-beads into our sea. Will the Minister urgently meet me to discuss how we can force Southern Water to finally get a grip of its appalling failures at our water treatment works?
Like the hon. Member, I am appalled by this plastic pollution incident, which affects his constituency, nearby constituencies and Camber Sands. We are holding Southern Water to account. There needs to be a thorough investigation of what happened, and as has been said by the Minister with responsibility for water and flooding, my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (Emma Hardy) —she has been in touch with both the water company and the Environment Agency—the immediate priority is to address the damage caused, but we need to ask questions about why this was not uncovered earlier. The water Minister or I would be happy to meet him.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for (a) reviewing and (b) publishing her assessment of Southern Water’s Water Resources Management Plan 24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for (a) reviewing and (b) publishing her assessment of Southern Water’s Water Resources Management Plan 24.
We are currently reviewing Southern Water’s draft Water Resources Management Plan with water regulators. The Secretary of State will make a decision on the next steps is due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will conduct a review of Southern Water’s stakeholder engagement with local fisheries on (a) pollution and discharge events and (b) development in Thames Estuary.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will conduct a review of Southern Water’s stakeholder engagement with local fisheries on (a) pollution and discharge events and (b) development in Thames Estuary.
This Government is putting customers at the heart of the water system. While stakeholder engagement is a matter for individual water companies, customers will be able to hold water company bosses to account through powerful new customer panels that are being developed. Ministers have met with all company boards to ensure they understand the Government’s drive to transform the water sector and to hear how they plan to meet their obligations to customers and the environment.
T7
.
Chris Ward (Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven) (Lab):
In the last few days, I have had a huge number of emails from constituents about continued sewage discharge into our otherwise beautiful seas and the shocking record of Southern Water on this issue. I noted earlier that the Secretary of State said he had been to Bournemouth a couple of times, but can he come a little further down the coast, visit my constituency, and set out what this Government are doing to clean up our waters and hold Southern Water to account?
T7
.
Chris Ward (Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven) (Lab):
In the last few days, I have had a huge number of emails from constituents about continued sewage discharge into our otherwise beautiful seas and the shocking record of Southern Water on this issue. I noted earlier that the Secretary of State said he had been to Bournemouth a couple of times, but can he come a little further down the coast, visit my constituency, and set out what this Government are doing to clean up our waters and hold Southern Water to account?
Well, I was not far away a couple of weeks ago—I was down in Lewes. I congratulate my hon. Friend on being such a powerful campaigner on issues relating to sewage in his constituency. He tells me that he has brought together a group of campaigners. I would be delighted to meet him and them to see some of the problems and talk about how we can start to fix the appalling problems with pollution that the Conservative party has landed us with.
Well, I was not far away a couple of weeks ago—I was down in Lewes. I congratulate my hon. Friend on being such a powerful campaigner on issues relating to sewage in his constituency. He tells me that he has brought together a group of campaigners. I would be delighted to meet him and them to see some of the problems and talk about how we can start to fix the appalling problems with pollution that the Conservative party has landed us with.
Well, I was not far away a couple of weeks ago—I was down in Lewes. I congratulate my hon. Friend on being such a powerful campaigner on issues relating to sewage in his constituency. He tells me that he has brought together a group of campaigners. I would be delighted to meet him and them to see some of the problems and talk about how we can start to fix the appalling problems with pollution that the Conservative party has landed us with.
T7
.
Chris Ward (Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven) (Lab):
In the last few days, I have had a huge number of emails from constituents about continued sewage discharge into our otherwise beautiful seas and the shocking record of Southern Water on this issue. I noted earlier that the Secretary of State said he had been to Bournemouth a couple of times, but can he come a little further down the coast, visit my constituency, and set out what this Government are doing to clean up our waters and hold Southern Water to account?
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the dumping of sewage by Southern Water in Southampton Test constituency.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the dumping of sewage by Southern Water in Southampton Test constituency.
For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
The Government remains committed to reducing both the frequency and duration of storm overflow spills, in line with the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan (SODRP). The SODRP will eliminate ecological harm from all storm sewage discharges by 2050.
As part of Price Review 2024 (2025-30), Southern Water is investing £1.1 billion to reduce storm overflow spills by 24% by investing in 246 spill reduction schemes. As part of this cycle, 4 investigations and asset improvements are planned across the City of Southampton and a further 6 at assets that currently overflow to Southampton Water.
The Water (Special Measures) Act is introducing independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish real-time data for all emergency overflows. Discharges will have to be reported within an hour of the initial spill. This will match the pre-existing duty for storm overflows and create an unprecedented level of transparency, enabling the public and regulators to see where, and how often, overflows are discharging, and hold water companies to account. This will meet the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.
Furthermore, the Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will recommend reforms to reset the water sector. The Independent Water Commission: interim report was released on 03 June 2025. Final recommendations will be published this summer and presented to both the UK and Welsh Governments.
To ask His Majesty's Government how many criminal convictions have been secured by regulators against Southern Water since privatisation.
To ask His Majesty's Government how many criminal convictions have been secured by regulators against Southern Water since privatisation.
Since the privatisation of water and sewerage companies in 1989, all ten Water and Sewerage companies which discharge into English waters have been convicted of criminal offences including Southern Water. Details of the enforcement action taken against water companies by regulators are available on the relevant regulators’ websites.
We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, the regulators will not hesitate to hold companies to account. The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade and ensures that imprisonment is always available as a sentencing option to the courts where investigations by the environmental regulators have been obstructed.
I am shocked that six months after my hon. Friend first raised this issue with me, the road to nowhere is still going nowhere fast. She is absolutely right to call out the inaction of the Conservative-run East Sussex county council and Southern Water, both of which I know she...
I am shocked that six months after my hon. Friend first raised this issue with me, the road to nowhere is still going nowhere fast. She is absolutely right to call out the inaction of the Conservative-run East Sussex county council and Southern Water, both of which I know she...