Union calls for urgent public inquiry into water sector

The GMB union has called for a public inquiry to look into the management of the water sector.

An emergency motion was tabled at GMB’s annual conference on Wednesday (7 June) to lobby government to launch an official inquiry.

The union claims that an inquiry is needed urgently to uncover “gross mismanagement of the entire water industry”.

In particular, the GMB is calling for an end to sewage dumping in UK waters and for revenue from fines to be reinvested into infrastructure projects and improvements to water and waste management.

Cliff Roney, GMB Congress delegate said: “We need the government to look at the wider picture for clean, safe water. This is not just about sewage pollution it is also about our waterways, coastlines and water systems dying.

“Along with massive investment, for real change to happen the regulators and government must work together in partnership with the industry. No more apologies, just real action for improvement.

“Thousands of GMB members who work in this industry are passionate about the survival of their industry and are willing to be the eyes and ears of the regulators.

“Do we want the next generation of children playing on the beach to build sandcastles, or poocastles? We need an urgent public inquiry now.”

Water UK recently apologised on behalf of all water companies for not acting quickly enough to reduce sewage spills.

The umbrella body for water companies, which have attracted intense criticism over recent years on a string of issues including sewage discharges, also confirmed that companies in England will invest £10 billion this decade, more than treble the £3.1 billion they have currently committed to between 2020 and 2025.

Subject to approval by regulators, this investment is expected to cut sewage overflows by up to 140,000 per annum compared to the level in 2020, through measures such as increasing the capacity of sewage treatment works and greater use of grass and ponds to reduce rainfall run-off.