Following on from the controversial vote on an amendment to the Environment bill last week, an interactive map is showing where treated and untreated sewage overflows are discharging in Cornwall.

The map, produced by the Cornwall-based Rivers Trust charity, uses data obtained from the Environment Agency in order to show where sewage is discharged into rivers during heavy rain or storms.

It also shows the sheer scale of sewage discharge into rivers and, eventually, the sea across the country.

The charity advises people not to play or swim in the water downstream of these discharging areas and is also recommending that people avoid or do not enter the water near the overflows, which are marked with brown circles, after heavy rains or a storm.

You can explore the map below by searching for your hometown or scrolling across the country to see the situation nationally.

 

 

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The map is of particular interest after last week's vote in the House of Commons in which five of the six Cornish MPs voted to not require water firms to take reasonable steps to reduce sewage discharge.

The vote took place last Wednesday (Oct 20) and resulted in the government rejecting the amendment from the House of Lords which would have placed a duty on water companies to take all reasonable steps to reduce sewage outfalls, arguing that it was uncosted and unnecessary.

The counter-argument put forward by a number of MPs for not voting for the amendment is that it would have been the public that would have had to shoulder the bill as well as claiming that a comprehensive report, due in September 2022, would give a much better picture on the scale of the task and how sewage discharges may be reduced.

However, the government did announce last night that it would introduce a new duty enshrined in law to ensure water companies secure a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: "Earlier this summer, the Government published a new strategic policy priorities for Ofwat and the water sector asking them to significantly reduce the discharge of sewage from storm overflows in the next pricing review.

"Following a debate in the House of Commons last week during the final stages of the Environment Bill, today we are announcing that we will put that commitment on a statutory footing with a new clause."

In a vote last night in the House of Lords, a majority voted in favour of the Duke of Wellington’s amendment to the Environment Bill, with 213 in favour and 60 against.