Helen joins calls for Sewage Tax after 379 hours of dumping in North Shropshire rivers

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has joined calls for a Sewage Tax to force water companies to fund improvements to our rivers and waterways.

It comes as data shows that sewage was dumped into three waterways in North Shropshire for nearly 400 hours last year.

The MP had previously raised concerns about the lack of action being taken by government over the sewage dumping issue, and last year visited the treatment plan in Oswestry to see the process for herself.

A petition was launched by Liberal Democrat Shropshire Councillors last year to support a Sewage Tax on water company profits to fund efforts to improve the environmental quality of rivers and waterways.

Data by the Rivers Trust showed that the Newnes Brook in Ellesmere saw 72 discharges last year over 54 hours. At Mile Oak, Weston, the River Morda was faced with 281 hours of discharges.

Another impacted river is the Roden. There are three Combined Sewer Overflows in Wem alone, which discharged 50 times over 44 hours last year.

The MP took at look at one of these overflows herself earlier in the week.

Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire said, “Water companies need to clean up their act and stop dumping sewage into our beautiful rivers.

“The countryside is a very special place to live, and we all have a duty to do our part to look after it. Sadly, even in an inland county like Shropshire, we have an enormous problem with sewage discharges into our rivers and waterways. The scale is so huge that this nothing short of a national scandal.

“We must look after our rivers and waterways – yet last year sewage was dumped into the Roden, Morda and Newnes Brook for an incredible 379 hours.

“That’s why I am giving my support to the campaign to tax water company profits to clean this up. We need to keep up the pressure to take care of our natural environment and right this wrong.”