The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has said that it is to carry out an investigation into the roles of Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Defra Secretary of State in the regulation of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in England. 

The aims of the investigation are to determine whether these authorities have failed to comply with their respective duties in relation to the regulation, including the monitoring and enforcement, of water companies’ own duties to manage sewage. In doing so, we will seek to clarify the respective duties.  

Further, if there are found to be failures, our objective will be to improve regulation, leading to long term improvement in water quality.  

The OEP’s Chief Regulatory Officer Helen Venn said: “Unsatisfactory water quality is an important, longstanding, systemic issue and one of the most pressing environmental concerns at this time.   

Further information from the OEP can be read here

https://www.theoep.org.uk/news/oep-launches-investigation-regulation-combined-sewer-overflows-csos