FRIENDS of the River Frome’s campaign to improve the water quality of the town’s main river has received the backing of local MP, David Warburton.
The local organisation recently wrote to the MP, asking him to back a proposal to impose a legal obligation on water companies to ensure sewage is not discharged into rivers.
The group highlighted the ongoing issue of raw sewage being discharged regularly into the main river – which was recently classified as being in a ‘poor ecological condition’ by the Environment Agency.
In response to the group’s letter, the MP said, “I can certainly assure you that, when the Bill returns to the House of Commons for its second reading in January, I will be giving it my full support.
“Protecting our rivers and waterways is an issue of huge importance to our communities in Somerset and it’s always been of critical interest to me to address improvements to the maintenance of our waterways and also enhance flood prevention and dredging.
“I must thank the Friends of the Somerset River Frome group for the crucial work that they do for the town and its wider environment. And I am delighted that, largely thanks to their efforts, discharges into the river are now being monitored. I am keen to support the next steps of reducing and removing these discharges and offer any further help that might be required.”
The MP also recently met with Friends of the River Frome members, Sue Everett and Mike Bull, to discuss the group’s concerns about sewage and agricultural pollution.
One of the issues raised by the pair with the MP was the need for water companies to finance improvements, monitoring, and provide real-time information on sewage discharges.
The Private Members Bill, The Sewage (Inland Waters) Bil, proposed by MP Philip Dunne, would place a duty on water companies to ensure that untreated sewage is not discharged into rivers and other inland waters. It is scheduled for its second reading in the Houses of Common in January.
Picture: Friends of the River Frome members, Sue Everett and Mike Bull, with David Warburton MP.
