Lib Dems call for ‘emergency work’ in 48 hours to stop families swimming in sewage over bank holiday weekend

Families are “at risk of becoming sick from sewage” and the British public should be “given a weekend off from swimming in polluted waters” over the bank holiday, the Lib Dems have said. Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron said Therese Coffey is “missing in action” and the government “should haul in these profiteering firms and demand they clean up their act this weekend.”

He added that if it means a complete emergency infrastructure work over the next 48 hours “then so be it” as “let’s not forget, water firms have been stuffing their pockets whilst leaving pipes leaking.” The Conservatives have hit back at the Lib Dems’ proposals, saying they would lead to “people spending their bank holiday with sewage backing up through their toilets” instead.

A Tory source warned the Lib Dems’ proposals would be unworkable, adding that it is their “most dangerous” policy yet.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs also added that their proposal is a “reckless suggestion that risks the safety of homes and businesses” as “storm overflows cannot just be ‘switched off’.” The spokesperson added: “They are an automatic feature designed to stop sewage backing up into properties.

“They should only be used under strict permit conditions – and we are clear that the volume of sewage being discharged into our waters is utterly unacceptable. Last year, 93% of bathing waters met the highest standards of ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, up from just 76% in 2010.”

The Lib Dems’ proposal comes after a freedom of information request by the party showed that the Environment Agency, responsible for monitoring water quality, has no record of sewage discharges during July and August.

The party says all 10 water and sewerage companies failed to disclose how much sewage had been discharged in response to its requests for the data, which it called a "scandalous cover-up".

Mr Farron said: “Why on earth is the government not speaking up on these disgusting acts of environmental vandalism? Water firms are committing a national scandal whilst ministers look the other way. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.”

Industry body Water UK called the claim "fabricated and completely false" saying firms were fixing the problem.

A spokesperson said water companies were investing billions of pounds in deploying around 50,000 monitors across overflows and in rivers, and publishing measurements of spills, oxygen levels and different pollutants almost in real time.