Sewage discharged in blackpool south
On 29th May I received an alert on the Safer Seas and Rivers Service app that there had been a sewage discharge at 23.15 the previous night at Blackpool South that United Utilities was responsible for.
I went to meet Dr Barbara Kneale from campaign group Fylde Coast Against Sewage at the site of the discharge to discuss this serious issue.
Environment Agency figures released in March revealed that last year was the worst for sewage spills since records began. United Utilities, which the EA identified as the UK's worst polluter, released raw sewage into open water on the Fylde Coast almost 1,500 times in 2023.
The water company used storm overflows 105 times in Blackpool’s local authority boundaries, discharging for a total of around 260 hours. In Fylde, where the River Wyre directly feeds into our sea, they were used 1,372 times for a total of around 7,711 hours.
Alongside poor enforcement by the EA and a lack of funding by government, years of underinvestment by United Utilities in their infrastructure is directly responsible for pollution on our coastline.
The company’s CEO, Louise Beardmore is compensated £875,500 a year in salary and bonuses and directly owns 0.007% of the company's shares, worth £492,390.
Meanwhile, UU which serves 7 million of us customers across the region, is expected to increase their water bills by 38% over the next five years to £666.
Labour plans to put polluting water companies under special measures. Under these plans Ofwat could have blocked six out of nine water bosses’ bonuses last year because of severe levels of illegal pollution. Water bosses who oversee repeated law-breaking will face criminal charges.
A Labour government will also introduce severe and automatic fines that water companies can’t afford to ignore for illegal sewage discharges. And it will end self-monitoring so companies can no longer cover up illegal sewage dumping.
Blackpool’s beaches should be a huge source of pride for residents, who should be able to reap all the benefits of our greatest natural asset. Their pollution not only threatens our health but our wellbeing and sense of local pride.
This summer I hope to enjoy time on the beach with my son who should be able to enjoy his first splash around on the shore without me and my wife worrying he could fall sick as a result. As MP for Blackpool South I will do everything in my power to hold United Utilities to account to ensure that our sea is safe for my son and all residents and visitors to our beaches.