Campaigners from across Yorkshire travelled to Westminster on 17 March as part of The Sewage Campaign Network’s national lobbying effort, calling for a fundamental overhaul of England’s failing water system. Representatives from Plastic free NW Leeds, Ilkley Clean River Group and Save Our Swale joined river groups from across the UK to urge MPs to back public ownership and meaningful enforcement against water pollution.
An impressive 116 MPs attended the lobbying event – representing 18% of parliament – demonstrating their support for nationalisation of our water and signalling growing political pressure over sewage dumping and water company failures. Campaigners also spoke directly with parliamentary under-secretary of state for water and flooding, Emma Hardy, to raise concerns about ongoing pollution and regulatory inaction.
“Customers pay while shareholders profit”
The campaigners’ message was clear: the government’s new white paper, A New Vision for Water, risks entrenching a privatised model that has already presided over record pollution, ageing infrastructure and soaring bills. Campaigners argued that the proposals would “lock in another 30 years” of the failing system that has left rivers and seas routinely contaminated with untreated wastewater. It would the same model, where customers pay while shareholders profit from pollution. A 2024 global survey of cities found that in 89% of cities water is publicly owned, and we can all see a good reason for that.
Campaigners point to international examples where public ownership has delivered cleaner waterways and lower costs. France, which recently renationalised parts of its water system, has reported an 8% reduction in bills, alongside major river clean-ups such as that in the Seine ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
We want UK citizens and paying customers to be in charge of cheaper, fairer, cleaner water in public ownership.
Demands to parliament
Campaigners outlined three key demands:
1. Examine ownership: A transparent and independent review of all options learning from what works internationally. Use this to design a bespoke modern public ownership system with public consultation. Water is cleaner, cheaper and fairer in public ownership.
2. Enforce the law: Hold polluters to account, using the full force of the law, and say no to deregulation masquerading as ‘streamlining’. Follow through on the thousands of criminal prosecutions, using Peter Hammond’s data on illegal dry spills and the 15,000 illegal raw sewage spills, as reported in The Times.
3. Give the public a say: The public must be at the centre of the future of water; they are the ones who pay the water companies’ bills.
Yorkshire voices in Westminster
Kirsty Tucker, community leader of Plastic free NW Leeds met with MPs Alex Sobel (Leeds central and Headingly) and Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East) to present public polls from 20 Facebook community groups from the three constituencies covered by Plastic NW Leeds. Group members indicated overwhelming support for nationalisation and local councillors participating in the poll expressed similar views. It was great to see that both MPs supported the campaign and public ownership of our water.
There is a growing sense across Yorkshire that residents are tired of monopoly water companies taking bill payers’ money, while polluting our rivers and enriching their shareholders.
C4’s Dirty Business brings the human cost to parliament
Following the lobby event, Channel 4 and The Sewage Campaign Network hosted a parliamentary screening of Dirty Business, the docudrama that exposes the realities of raw sewage dumping in our UK waters and the corporate scandal of our water companies profiteering for pollution. The screening was followed by a powerful and often moving discussion featuring the real people behind the stories depicted on screen.
These included Julie Maughan, mum of eight-year-old Heather Preen, who, in a heartbreaking moment, discussed the tragic death of her daughter after she contracted E.coli 0157 from paddling in the sea in Dawlish, Devon. Maughan asked why she is now having to see yet another family suffer like theirs has, since a new case has arisen of a little boy who contracted E.coli after paddling in Lake Windermere.
Also there was Rob – an Environment Agency whistleblower – who left his 21year career just so he could tell the truth and finally highlight the scandal behind the protection of private equity rather than the environment. Long-time industry worker Cliff Rooney stated the clear facts on what goes on behind the scenes. He raised issues such as receiving instructions to not fix infrastructure correctly to save money and then having to press the button to evacuate untreated raw sewage into the rivers, as it was, sadly, the only option. And, crucially, Peter Hammond and Ash Smith from Windrush WASP, who described how their data on illegal sewage discharges into their local river is still being ignored today.
The emotional testimony prompted difficult questions for the minister, Emma Hardy, illustrating the stark gap between political promises and the lived reality of communities affected by chronic water pollution. The meeting ended with an unexpected apology to Julie Maughan for failings over many years.
A scandal still unfolding
For campaigners, the day underscored a simple truth: the sewage crisis is not the result of natural events or unavoidable circumstances, but of political decisions, regulatory weaknesses and a system that prioritises shareholder returns over environmental protection.
What campaigners made clear in Westminster is that public pressure is growing, and the demand for clean rivers, coasts and waterways will not subside.
We need to continue the momentum, raising awareness of this sewage scandal. Join your local clean water campaign group such as Plastic free NW Leeds or Ilkley Clean River Group, for any future events or campaigns. Visit The Sewage Campaign Network and take action. We suggest you write to your MP to demand that the white paper is stopped, and demand nationalisation. Only with sustained public pressure can we force a long-overdue clean‑up of our rivers, seas and waterways.
Friends of Bylines Network
There has never been a greater need for grassroots journalism that investigates the stories that really matter, holds power to account and champions the voices of everyday citizens. We are proudly powered by volunteers but what we do isn’t free.
STAND WITH US for independent, citizen-led journalism that makes democracy stronger, and you will even get some exclusive benefits.
