Defra imposes stricter water monitoring rules after severe rainfall
Environment Secretary Steve Reed announced compulsory water-quality monitoring and tougher financial penalties for water companies failing to curb raw sewage discharges into rivers and coastal waters after heavy rain and flooding.
A giant sewage pipe shaped like a rising graph carries the label ‘PROJECTED BILLS +36% BY 2030’. Its upward-pointing outlet pours dirty water back down into a river. A water-company executive proudly polishes the pipe while a Defra inspector fits monitoring equipment and tightens an enforcement collar. A household customer watches with a bill in hand.
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