Shropshire Council to press water companies over cleaner rivers in county
Shropshire Council will press water companies for better monitoring systems as part of plans to clean up the county’s rivers.
The authority says more frequent reporting is required from Severn Trent Water to help tackle a rising tide of sewage in Shropshire’s main rivers, which saw the Severn in Shrewsbury tagged with the lowest water quality rating in some areas earlier this year.
Recommendations adopted by Shropshire Council’s cabinet also include measures to separate rainwater from waste water to reduce the risk of sewage infrastructure being overwhelmed after heavy downpours.
A report outlining the research of a working group of Shropshire councillors said clean and healthy rivers were “essential to Shropshire’s prosperity and wellbeing”.
“In recent years there have been complaints that water quality in rivers has deteriorated. The chief contributor in urban areas are the frequent and intermittent discharges of raw sewage when it rains,” it said.
“[Members] have focused on sewage in this work but have taken account of agriculture and highways run-off as it has come up in their investigation.
“It is important that Shropshire Council plays an active role in holding key partners to account, and looks at opportunities to enable, encourage and enforce actions that will help to reduce sewage being released into waterways.”
The group also recommended that so-called “Grampian conditions”, planning conditions that prevent work starting on new developments until infrastructure work has been completed, should be adopted to ensure new developments are joined to appropriate sewage and rainwater pipework.
Severn Trent Water says it is investing £100m per year in improving infrastructure, and in October the company announced a £12.9bn scheme to improve its sewage network.
“By 2030 we will have transformed our network to continue to provide our customers with the best service that can be relied on,” said a spokesman.
“At the heart of this ambition is a commitment to ensure a sustainable future – from healthy rivers, to providing jobs of thousands, less leaks and a water supply to deal with the impacts of climate change and population growth.”
The report recommended that Shropshire Council work closely with Severn Trent Water, agencies and local communities on how and where the planned investment takes place.
"This should include enabling and ensuring the engagement between agencies and with local communities and help to realise the greatest benefit for the environment of the resources being brought to bear,” it added.
An action plan on the recommendations will be brought before the authority’s Economy and Environment scrutiny committee in the new year.
