WATER companies that cause environmental degradation attracted criticism in the House of Lords, when the use of fines was debated.

The debate, on Thursday of last week, had been called by Baroness Grender (Liberal Democrat) to ask about steps “to ensure that fines paid by water companies are used to repair the damage done by sewage pollution . . . the often illegal and regular dumping of sewage”.

“It is a scourge on us all that sewage pollution is damaging so many of our watercourses and coastlines — damaging their ecosystems, but also our enjoyment of them,” the Bishop of Norwich and the Church of England’s lead bishop for the environment, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, said.

“The Rivers Trust reports that none of our rivers are now in good overall health. . . Fifty-four per cent of our nation’s rivers are impacted negatively by the water sector, mainly through sewage effluent.”

He spoke about the misdemeanours of water companies: “Thames Water, Wessex Water, and Southern Water collectively released sewage in dry spills for 3500 hours in 2022. All three spilled on the hottest day on record. Surely, with the right effort and the right pride in the boardroom and among shareholders and the workforce — and with the right investment in infrastructure — none of this needs to be the case.

“So, as well as stopping the sewage pollution, the fines must be used to restore our rivers and damaged habitats. . . As well as the fines, we need to embed culture change and good leadership.”

He quoted the Canticle of the Sun by St Francis of Assisi, he concluded: “When we finally take sewage pollution seriously, we might be able to add our own ‘Alleluia’.”

Peers expressed concerns that water-company fines were not being reapportioned quickly enough, and would go to the Treasury to mend public finances instead. Windrush Against Sewage Pollution was referred to: “One of 34 clean-river groups involved in a legal challenge in the High Court, in an attempt to push for temporary nationalisation of Thames Water.”

In summing up, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Baroness Hayman (Labour), said that “the concerns about the water industry, and the pollution from it, must be government priorities.”