25th February 2025
In 2022, Kingston and Surbiton Labour took strong action to raise the issue of sewage pollution in our local waterways.
We wrote to the CEO of Thames Water, launched a petition signed by thousands of local people about pollution in the Hogsmill River and Green Lanes Stream.
As a result of this, we were invited to the Sewage Treatment Works in Berrylands where we found out more about the local situation, and since then have consistently called for action on pollution in our waterways. Thank you to the many local people who supported this important campaign.
Now, under a Labour government, real change is happening. Major legislation has been passed to crack down on water companies polluting our rivers, lakes, and seas.
The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 – What It Means
- Increasing the ability of the Environment Agency to bring forward criminal charges against water executives who break the law.
- It will create new tougher penalties, including possible imprisonment, for water executives who obstruct investigations.
- Provide powers for Ofwat to ban the payment of bonuses to water bosses if they fail to meet high standards to protect the environment, their consumers, and their company’s finances.
- Automatic penalties to allow regulators to issue penalties more quickly, without having to direct resources to lengthy investigations.
- Introduce independent monitoring of every sewage outlet, with water companies required to publish real-time data for all emergency overflows. Discharges will have to be reported within an hour of the initial spill.
This is the most significant step in a decade to hold polluting water companies accountable. Labour is delivering on its promise to clean up Britain’s waterways, and we will continue work towards supporting strong action to clean up our waters in Kingston and beyond.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is also leading efforts to clean up London’s rivers through a 10-year plan to improve water quality and protect local ecosystems. This includes the Thames Tideway Tunnel, set to reduce sewage discharge into the Thames by 95%, as well as expanding sustainable drainage systems and natural filtration solutions.
