Clean water battle: Harrogate’s MP takes to river to highlight campaign for tough new independent regulators

Harrogate’s MP has joined fellow Yorkshire MPs and campaigners on the region’s rivers to lobby for the introduction of a Clean Water Bill.

Tom Gordon was seeing the work done by The Wild Waters Yorkshire campaign, engaging in citizen science and testing water.

“Yorkshire Water certainly seem to want a pat on the back about the fact that they are now trying to do works,” said the Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, who was on the Nidd at Knaresborough on Blenkhorn’s Boats.

“But that is the result of grass roots campaigning over a number of years and being pressured into it by government too.

“Obviously no river, no coastline should still see the record levels of dumping that we see.”

Activists canvassed the opinions of the public on water quality in Yorkshire in September, largely via mainstream social media groups.

It concluded that the biggest concern amongst Yorkshire Water customers was the amount of sewage in our rivers and seas with 92% were very concerned by this and a further 4.6% quite concerned.

The proposed Clean Water Bill would have three main aims, say campaigners.

1 Reclaim the system: End this failed privatised model and set out a clear roadmap for a water system that works for people and the environment, not shareholders.

2 Protect our health and the environment: Protect the health of water users and make water companies legally accountable for the harm they cause to public health and the environment.

3 Stop the polluters, stop the sewage: Introduce tough independent regulators, loophole-proof accountability, and enforcement that makes polluters pay.

Across Yorkshire 81.3% of participants think water companies should be run in the public sector.

The Wild Waters Yorkshire campaign claims this fits the national picture that YouGov reported in May of this year with 82% of Britons saying water companies should be run in the public sector.

Campaigners also highlighted the issue of pay for bosses at Yorkshire Water.

Last year saw all four elected Yorkshire Mayors writing to the Chair of Yorkshire Water to say: “We write to express our serious concerns regarding the recently disclosed executive remuneration arrangements at Yorkshire Water when Yorkshire Water customers are facing a 41% increase in bills.

“In particular, the additional £1.3 million in undisclosed payments made to Chief Executive Nicola Shaw .

“Not a single river in Yorkshire is considered to be in good overall health.”