Outrage over Tone sewage spill

New figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Wessex Water, which covers most of Taunton and Wellington, discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 372,341 hours last year.

That is a 187% increase on the 2022 figure.

Local Liberal Democrats are calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in local rivers, including replacing Ofwat with a tougher regulator.

The party also wants a ban on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.

Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis, including the sitting MP for Taunton Deane, Rebecca Pow.

Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Taunton and Wellington said: “It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into local rivers and waterways.

“This includes over 1,000 such events in the catchment of the Tone which runs through Taunton and Wellington”.

“The thousands of local residents who worked with me to win Bathing Water Status for the Tone show how much people care about this issue.

“It frankly beggars belief that Conservative MPs have allowed water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism.

“Local people are furious that Conservative politicians blocked tougher action on these disgraced firms.

"The Liberal Democrats are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local rivers/beaches including replacing OfWat with a regulator which has real teeth to clamp down on these polluting firms. “We have also called for a ban on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways."