MP hopes new bill can tackle water sewage issues

Labour Norwich South MP, Clive Lewis, is calling for an overhaul of the water system in the UK

A Labour MP says he hopes his proposed bill to tackle problems in the water system will lead to change.

Clive Lewis, the MP for Norwich South, won the chance to put forward a Private Members' Bill in a parliamentary lottery last month.

He has decided to use the opportunity to call for a commission on water, to look into different models of ownership - as well as measures needed to meet the demands of climate change.

"Water is a critical national resource and this bill will help, I think, educate the public about the scale of the challenge," he said.

Anglian Water was forced to pay a £37.6m penalty for failing to meet performance measures around leakages, supply and reducing pollution

Lewis won the chance to present his bill as part of a ballot, which allows backbench MPs to change the law or raise awareness, thereby influencing legislation around an issue of importance to them.

His placement guarantees his bill debate time in Parliament.

The proposed bill will set new water targets and objectives for water management as well as climate adaptation and mitigation.

Lewis hopes the commission will also lead to a citizens' assembly to undertake a public consultation looking into different models of water ownership.

"We've all seen the standard of water, the quality of water," he said.

"And this bill is part of the story of saying we accept that that change needs to happen.

"I'm hopeful that this can have a positive impact on the government."

'Serious incidents'

Lewis has previously criticised Anglian Water, which supplies parts of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Rutland and Suffolk - as well as Hartlepool in north-east England.

In July, an assessment carried out by the Environment Agency documented 307 pollution incidents and a further 11 serious incidents in 2023.

Anglian Water was forced to pay a £37.6m penalty for failing to meet performance measures around leakages, supply and reducing pollution.

The Norwich South MP said: "Part of this bill is about moving beyond just privatisation versus nationalisation.

"In the 21st Century, it should not be beyond the ken of our government, and as a country, to develop an ownership model of water that takes into account the climate crisis.

"That allows us to have a water system that works, that's clean, that people can swim in - and where private corporations aren't able to extract billions of pounds from our infrastructure, which doesn't benefit us."

Lewis is presenting his bill for its first reading in Parliament on Wednesday. It will have its second reading in 2025.