HC Deb 30 March 1998 vol 309 c359W
Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the environmental health impacts of infiltration into public and private sewers; and if he will make a statement; [36203]

(2) what assessment he has made of the environmental health impacts of the leakage of sewage into the ground from public and private sewers; and if he will make a statement. [36204]

Angela Eagle

I understand that experience within the water industry shows that the level of infiltration into sewers normally represents a very small proportion of the total flow a sewer can carry. Infiltration into sewers therefore has an insignificant bearing on such issues as sewage treatment, the operation of combined sewer overflows and flooding from sewers.

My Department held a meeting with the Sewer Renovation Federation at the end of last year to discuss a number of issues, including claims that leakage from sewers might be causing problems. The conclusion of that meeting was that there was no evidence that leakage is causing significant health or pollution problems at present.

Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of premises incorrectly connecting surface water drainage to foul only sewers; who has responsibility for securing remedial action by property owners in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement; [36205]

(2) what proportion of the public sewers in England and Wales are (a) combined foul and surface water, (b) foul water only and (c) surface water only; and if he will make a statement. [36202]

Angela Eagle

Information is not held centrally on the numbers of foul and surface water sewers or the numbers of illegal connections involving such drainage systems. I understand that sewerage undertakers normally require separate foul and surface water drainage systems where new sewers are to be adopted on completion. Sewerage undertakers are responsible for taking action under provisions in the Water Industry Act 1991 against illegal connections.