HC Deb 21 July 1975 vol 896 cc34-7
Mr. Cyril Smith

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement concerning the pollution of the Cowm Reservoir.

The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Mr. Denis Howell)

Water supplies in the Rochdale area became contaminated on Friday as a result of the pollution of the Cowm Reservoir by phenol. This substance was conveyed into the reservoir by springs which feed into it. It appears that the source of the pollution, although not yet pinpointed, is likely to be an industrial waste tip in the area. I am informed that phenol has a very unpleasant taste but is not toxic.

The contamination was first detected by the North-West Water Authority on Friday, and it immediately carried out a preliminary analysis, the results of which became known on Saturday afternoon, when the first public complaints were also received by the police, who took action to warn householders. Emergency supplies were laid on Sunday afternoon.

The suspected spring water is now being diverted away from the reservoir and the water authority is cleansing the mains and will continue to supply tanker drinking water until the mains are clear.

The water authority, the Lancashire County Council—the waste disposal authority—and the Rossendale District Council are investigating the cause of the pollution. The services of my Department and of the Government Chemist have been placed at the authorities' disposal.

I am concerned about this incident and the delay in warning the public and I have called for a full report from all the authorities involved. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Smith) for raising this matter and to my right hon. Friend the Member for Heywood and Royton (Mr. Barnett) who has also been in constant touch with me. I shall, of course, keep them fully informed as to the results of my inquiries.

Mr. Smith

I am grateful to the Minister for his comments and for saying that the right hon. Member for Heywood and Royton (Mr. Barnett) has also been deeply concerned about this matter. I should have done so myself had not the Minister mentioned it.

The Minister said that he will have prepared a full report. May I take it that the substance of the report which is to be presented to him will be made public, so that we may know the real cause of the problems suffered by thousands of people in this area over the weekend?

Will the Minister take immediate steps to ensure that, should a similar incident occur in any reservoir in this country, emergency procedure is laid down which will secure the immediate notification of suspicion to the medical officer of health in the area and the protection of the consumer as the first priority? Is the Minister aware that 36 hours elapsed between suspicion of pollution and the public's receiving any notification of the suspicion and that the notification when it came was via the media at the request of the local police rather than at the request of the water authority?

Does the Minister realise that lives might have been lost or at stake if the pollution of the reservoir concerned had been by a chemical which had more serious results? Does the Minister not agree that the total disregard of the North-West Water Authority for its consumers was absolutely scandalous, and what does he propose to do about it?

Is the Minister further aware that water wagons were first delivered to the area on Sunday? Will he advise the water authority that the truth is called for rather than a tissue of lies to cover up the totally inefficient way in which the North-West Water Authority dealt with the matter?

Mr. Howell

I certainly agree that when there is public concern over the pollution of water supplies the fullest possible disclosure is called for. That is what I intended when I said that I would see that the hon. Gentleman and my right hon. Friend get the report when I have it. There will be no cover up by the Government. I must say, on behalf of the North-West Water Authority, that, however strongly we may feel about the administration—I share the hon. Gentleman's concern about the delay between the first suspicion and notification to the public, which is one of the matters that needs to be looked into—the authority has been completely open and has not attempted to hide any of the unfortunate facts, including the delay.

On the question of emergency procedures, based on the findings of the inquiry into this incident I intend to have the emergency procedures thoroughly examined in the light of experience to see whether we need to make any changes.

Mr. Raison

Is the Minister aware that the Opposition share the concern that has been expressed about this incident and about the apparently feeble response of the water authority? Is the Minister quite sure that there is no danger to health, and will he tell us how his plans are advancing for bringing in Part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, which deals with water pollution?

Mr. Howell

We are actively consulting local authorities on the latter point. If they agree to our implementing that part of the Control of Pollution Act, we shall do so but, as the hon. Gentleman knows, the local authorities are at present resisting further legislation being imposed upon them which would cause any increase in public expenditure. We therefore thought it right to consult them before bringing that part of the Act formally into operation. If the local authorities agree, it will be brought into operation immediately.

I understand that, fortunately, no danger to health is involved. The dumping of toxic wastes is already controlled by previous legislation, not by the Control of Pollution Act.

Mr. George Rodgers

Are there other sites or dumps in the vicinity of reservoirs where industrial waste may be tipped, and have any steps been taken to avoid incidents of this sort in future?

Mr. Howell

When we came into office we found that our predecessors had identified about 50 tips which were potentially dangerous. We have continued with the action they properly took, which was to have every one of the 50 tips thoroughly investigated by competent scientists. I announced in an answer a few weeks ago the detailed result on each one of those tips. No tips in the country, so far as we know, are liable to cause danger to health, but this sort of incident means that one can never be complacent about public health.

Mr. English

Is my hon. Friend aware that when I served with the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Smith) on the local authority which controls this reservoir, one elected authority controlled all the three functions that today are controlled by three authorities, some of them unelected? Is that not another illustration of the way in which local government was better administered under the old system than under this so-called reform?

Mr. Howell

I advised my hon. Friends when in Opposition that this diversification of responsibility was a reason to vote against local government and water authority reorganisation. I therefore have some sympathy with my hon. Friend's comment.