§ 96. Mr. LoydenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many sewer outfalls discharge untreated sewage into coastal waters.
§ Mr. MoynihanI refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) on 20 March at column420.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when concessions were granted by his Department to South West Water to discharge raw sewage into fresh watercourses in the South Hams constituency; for how long the concessions last; and if he will review the arrangements;
(2) what quantity of raw sewage is discharged into fresh watercourses, following concessions granted by his Department to South West Water; how regularly it is permitted; and what steps are taken to neutralise that discharge so that the waters are purified to an acceptable standard;
(3) how many concessions have been granted by his Department to the South West Water authority to discharge raw sewage into fresh watercourses on the South Hams constituency; and how many have been granted for the towns of Dartmouth, Salcombe, Totnes, Ivybridge, Brixham and Kingsbridge.
§ Mr. Howard[holding answer 20 March 1989]: No such concessions have been granted by the Department.
Information is not held by the Department in a form which would allow the identification of discharges in any particular area or, where appropriate, any time limits imposed. 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 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.