Water companies should be forced to give local environmentalists a “seat at the table” of their management boards to combat sewage dumps, the Liberal Democrats have said.
Earlier this year, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee said England’s rivers have become a “chemical cocktail” of sewage, agricultural waste, and plastics. Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, who is now the party’s spokesman for rural affairs, said it is time to “name and shame” firms for their “disgusting sewage dumps in our rivers”.
By forcing water firms to accept local environmentalists onto their management boards, the public will be able to hold them to account, the Lib Dems said. “Local groups will hear first hand how bad the problem is from water companies and be able to release the details to the public,” the party said.
