§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has received about the level of sewage pumped into the River Teign; and what response he has made;
(2) what information he has on the level of untreated and partly treated sewage pumped into the River Teign;
(3) what steps he is taking to ensure that the River Teign is protected from pollution by sewage.
§ Mr. Moynihan[holding answer 6 April 1989]: Information is not held by the Department in a form which would allow the identification of discharges in any particular area. Details of all consents granted a water authority are, however, held on the register maintained by the water authority which may be inspected free of charge at all reasonable hours.
The only representations that my right hon. Friend has received concerning sewage disposal to the River Teign were submitted in response to the statutory advertising of a discharge consent application made by the South West water authority under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 for the repositioning of the sewage outfall at Shaldon occasioned by the blockage of the existing one by shifting sand. Consent was granted to this discharge on 29 November 1988.
The only discharges of untreated sewage to inland waters are from storm and emergency overflows. By definition, the operation of these is intermittent and thus conditions imposed reflect this and prescribe when a discharge may take place.
Many existing discharges to estuarial waters are of crude sewage or screened or macerated sewage and are of long standing. These discharges have deemed consent. It is the Department's intention that each should be reviewed by 1992 and where necessary, alternative arrangements considered.
Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution issued guidelines on the environmental conditions new long sea outfalls should be designed to achieve. Copies of these guidelines have been placed in the Library of the House.