PEEBLESSHIRE’S MP has said he will now back an amendment calling for a legal duty to be placed on water firms to reduce the amount of sewage that ends up in rivers.

Last week David Mundell, who represents Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale for the Conservatives, voted with his party on an amendment of the Environment Bill which did not include a proposal from the House of Lords to put a duty on “sewerage undertakers to take all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged from storm overflows into inland and coastal waters”.

However, the UK Government has now said it will write into law that firms will have to make a “progressive reduction” to the amount of sewage discharged into UK rivers and waterways – something Mr Mundell says he will support.

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“Rather than by means of the Lords’ amendment, the government is instead proposing to place a direct legal obligation on water companies to reduce the impact of sewage discharges,” said Mr Mundell. “This obligation will put it into law that water companies make progressive reductions in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows.

“Water companies will be obliged by law to show a reduction in sewage overspills over the next five years.”

Although the Scottish Government oversees environmental issues in Scotland, the River Tweed flows from the Borders into Northumberland.

On Tuesday (October 26) the House of Lords voted in favour of the amendment from the Duke of Wellington asking that a duty be put on “sewerage undertakers to take all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged from storm overflows into inland and coastal waters”.

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The amendment requires water firms to “demonstrate improvement in the performance of sewerage systems” and “secure progressive reductions in the harm caused by untreated sewage discharges into inland and coastal waters”.

The Lords vote passed with 213 peers voting ‘content’ and 60 ‘not contents’.

The duke’s amendment will now be debated by parliament at a later date.

Amendment 45 of the Environment Bill means that the government will have to make a plan for how to tackle discharge from storm overflows by September 1, 2022.

The proposal made by the House of Lords which was not included in the amendment of the Environment Bill voted on last week asked that a duty be placed on “sewerage undertakers to take all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged from storm overflows”.

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Storm overflows are designed to protect buildings from flooding during heavy rainfall.

According to Surfers Against Sewage, across the UK untreated sewage was discharged into waterways 400,000 times last year.

Mr Mundell added: “We all want to see action taken to protect our coastlines, waterways and rivers, including here in the Tweed valley where such a vital contribution is made to the life of the community.

“Placing new legal obligations on water companies to reduce any impacts from discharges from storm overflows is the way to do it, and that approach will have my support.”