A Big Win in the Fight to End the Sewage Scandal

It’s now official: the government has announced that Ofwat is to be scrapped and replaced with a tougher, more effective water regulator. This is a significant win for all of us, and especially for every individual who has stood up and demanded better for our rivers.

Here in Newbury, we are lucky to have the River Lambourn and River Kennet, two of the country’s precious and beautiful chalk streams. And yet, they’ve been treated like dumping grounds.

In 2024 alone, Thames Water was responsible for over 23,000 sewage spills across our region, totalling a staggering 298,000 hours of pollution. Meanwhile, they paid out bonuses and racked up debt, with bill payers left footing the bill, and living with sewage flooding their gardens and homes.

We’ve said all along that Ofwat wasn’t up to the job. This change wouldn’t be happening without you, your emails, your votes, your anger. Scrapping Ofwat was a commitment in our Liberal Democrat manifesto, and now we’re delivering on it.

This is progress, but the fight isn’t over. We’ll keep up the pressure to make sure the new regulator is independent, has teeth, and is focused on ending sewage spills for good. Our rivers, and the communities who care for them, deserve nothing less.