Environment Secretary Steve Reed will today pledge to ‘clean up Windermere’ setting out the Government’s support for the long-term ambition of ‘only rainwater’ entering England’s largest lake and end sewage discharges.

Bob Tallentire, M.D. at Adien, WaterBriefing’s Expert Focus on Detection and Mapping, comments on the uncertainty surrounding the extent of the UK’s private sewer network.

Water industry regulator Ofwat has said that an increase in bills for customers is inevitable following the transfer of private sewers to water and sewerage companies in England and Wales.

Ofwat has written to the Government to set out its views on implementation options for the transfer of private sewers and lateral drains into the ownership of water and sewerage companies.

Private sewers and lateral drains which are currently the responsibility of the owners of the properties they serve are to be transferred into the ownership of the nine statutory water and sewerage companies in England