WildFish charity says £56bn plan to reduce sewage dumping from storm overflows is illegal because it expects customers to foot bill

The legal challenge brought by WildFish, which seeks to have the Government’s sewage plan rejected as unlawful and re-written, is being heard in the High Court this week.

WildFish wants the Government to:

1. Enforce the law (in existence since 1994) and stop water companies from dumping raw sewage in rivers.
2. Get rid of the current plan for sewage pollution (known as the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan) which effectively allows water companies to continue to break the law for a further 27 years until 2050 and develop a plan that is in line with the existing law.
3. Ensure water companies foot the bill for any increased sewage capacity required by the law, not their customers.

The story is covered in the Guardian.

In a separate legal challenge also being heard this week, the Good Law Project is supporting the Marine Conservation Society, Richard Haward’s Oysters and the surfer and activist Hugo Tagholm, who argue that the government’s strategy allows water companies to pollute waters and beaches for another 27 years.