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Government breached law by allowing water firms to discharge sewage, watchdog finds

The UK government has been found in breach of environmental laws by allowing water companies to discharge sewage into rivers and seas, according to a report by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). The watchdog criticized the government for not adequately enforcing regulations that should prevent such discharges, which have been occurring frequently due to outdated infrastructure and increased pressure from population growth. The OEP highlighted that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) failed to comply with the legal requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment (England and Wales) Regulations 1994, which mandate that storm overflows should only be used in exceptional circumstances. This failure has led to significant environmental damage, with sewage spills occurring on average 825 times a day in 2022. The government has acknowledged the issue and is working on reforms, including unlimited fines for water companies and plans to reduce storm overflows, but the OEP insists that more immediate and stringent actions are necessary to address the ongoing pollution crisis.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-gb/politics/government/government-breached-law-by-allowing-water-firms-to-discharge-sewage-watchdog-finds/ar-AA1vYFF8 ]