Epsom & Ewell MP calls for water regulator to be replaced with proper industry watchdog

MP Helen Maguire has responded to the Government’s announcement of a new review of the water industry by calling for the replacement of the regulator Ofwat.

Today, the Government announced a new Independent Water Commission to deliver the industry’s biggest review since privatisation. However, like many of her fellow Liberal Democrat MPs, Helen Maguire is calling for more urgency in dealing with the current sewage crisis, which continues to plague our country’s coastlines, lakes and rivers.

In 2023, there were nearly 500,000 discharges across England, which accounted for more than 3 million hours of sewage discharged through storm overflows. In the same year, Epsom, Ewell, Ashtead and Leatherhead had over 11,000 hours over untreated sewage spewed into the River Mole. 2024 figures are set to be even higher as more than 4,500 hours’-worth of sewage has already been dumped into the River Mole in just the first two months of this year.

Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom & Ewell, Helen Maguire, said:

“Although I welcome the Government’s announcement of a new Independent Water Commission to review the water industry, we need far more urgency if we are to stop Thames Water from polluting our community with filthy sewage.

“Even before this Commission begins, the Government should replace Ofwat with a new regulator that has real teeth and power to hold this abusive water firms to account. It is time to end profit before the environment in the water industry and end this national scandal.”