Corner of Cornwall has some of the worst river and sewage pollution

North Cornwall’s rivers are among the most polluted in the county, new figures have revealed. The Rivers Trust’s sewage discharge data shows that the Rivers Inny and Allen have some of the highest amounts of sewage discharges in the whole of Cornwall.

The figures also show that three of the worst sewage works in the county are in north Cornwall. The Beals Mill treatment works near Treburley discharged untreated sewage and stormwater into the River Inney for a total of 5,051 hours – the equivalent of 210 continuous days – and is one of the worst discharge performers nationally.

Meanwhile, the Delabole Wastewater Treatment Works, which flows into the Allen River – a river with a Special Area of ​​Conservation designation of national importance – was polluted for 3,352 hours (equivalent to 140 days) and, also discharged into Altarnun for 2,899 hours (which is the equivalent). up to 120 days).

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The Liberal Democrats, who are hoping to wrestle Tory MP Scott Mann’s seat in North Cornwall at the next general election, accused the government of letting utility South West Water “get away with it”.

The party said that despite the government’s claims that it has a plan to tackle the problem – it is actually getting worse, with spills doubling in 2023 compared to the previous year. South West Water (SWW) has blamed the unusual amount of rain for the increased number of sewage pollution incidents.

It says storm overflow activity — drains that combine domestic sewage and surface runoff that can be opened when heavy rains threaten to back sewage into homes — will always be affected by rainfall, as it has been in the dry year of 2022. But 2023 was the fifth wettest year since records began for the Southwest. SWW also said its reporting is stricter than in other areas of the country, which is why there are more leaks.

North Cornwall Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Ben Maguire said water companies have pumped sewage into our rivers and seas more than 1 million times in the past three years. He said the Liberal Democrats were calling for a new blue flag status to protect rivers from pollution.

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Mr Maguire added: “The Conservatives are letting South West Water get away with this scandalous record and want taxpayers to pay to fix the problem. The water companies need to clean up their own mess and stop dumping sewage into our water.

“It’s time for a sewer tax on the £2.2bn annual water company profits, a ban on water company executive bonuses and it’s time for the Government to start dealing with this issue properly.

“Under our proposals, rivers could be designated with special status to protect them from pollution, including by water companies that discharge sewage into them. This would also give river swimmers the knowledge that certain environmental standards are met, meaning they could swim in them without fear of getting sick Water companies that continue to dump their sewage into Blue Flag rivers would be exposed to punitive fines”.

Lib Dem councilor Dominic Fairman, who represents Delabole on Cornwall Council, added: “The problem at Delabole is a simple one of underinvestment over many years.

“While South West Water continued to reward shareholders and directors, their solution to the village’s growing needs for wastewater infrastructure was to simply use the river as an open channel. Now we can’t bring affordable housing for the next generation because of the excess phosphates in the Allen River.”

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Scott Mann, Tory MP for North Cornwall, said it was not true that the Tory government had done nothing about the pollution problem. Only in February, in a post on his own website, he said that thanks to the current government, more incidents of pollution are being reported.

He wrote: “The claim that Tory MPs ‘voted to dump sewage on beaches’ is false. While I agree that the amount of sewage discharged by water companies into our rivers and seas is unacceptable, this is the first government to voice its expectations. that water companies must take steps to significantly reduce storm surges. This instruction will now be consolidated.

“It is only because of the increased monitoring of stormwater runoff – led by this Government – ​​that we know how serious the problem really is. Since 2016, the number of monitored exits has increased from 6% to 90%. This is one of the main reasons why the number of incidents is “on the rise”.

He added: “The measures supported by opposition MPs would not have banned sewage overflows, as some falsely claim. It is estimated that the proposals would have cost £12,000 – £21,000 per household. Conservative MPs voted to amend the plans, not block them. We’ve removed sections that would have meant massive bills for UK families.

“I understand how emotional and important this topic is. I am committed to seeing an end to combined sewer discharges over time and putting the onus to deal with the problem squarely on the water companies, not Cornish taxpayers.

South West Water said it had an action plan for the sites with the biggest leaks. The company said the following works are already underway:

• Hatherleigh: Triple storage at this location reducing leakage from this location by 90%.
• Chittleham Holt: A 50% reduction in spills already in January and February this year.
• There are 20 more storage sites in the pipeline from March 2024.

A spokesperson for SWW said: “We care about 860 meters of coastline, our regions 100% bathing water quality, which we have successfully maintained for three consecutive years and to protect the environment today and future. We were one of the first water companies. to monitor all our storm surges, meaning we know exactly what’s happening, when and where, allowing us to target investment and make changes where it matters most.

“We are serious about tackling storm surges and change of this scale takes time, ambition and increased investment – ​​which is why we are investing £850 million in our region over two years. for the number of named storms and weather warnings in 2023. It is clear that we need to redesign our systems, which we are already doing.

“We will also be the first water company to meet the government’s target of fewer than 10 leaks per discharge per year – a decade ahead of target.”