Tough action is needed on water pollution but challenges are complex - Robbie Moore

A detailed investigation was launched when the Environment Agency received a report of pollution in Hookstone Beck, which found that almost 1,500 fish had been killed and water quality affected for 2.5km downstream.

As part of their enforcement undertaking submitted to the Environment Agency – the largest ever accepted by the Agency - Yorkshire Water has now paid £500,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and £500,000 to Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.

It has also carried out a significant £1.85m improvement and rebuilding project to the overflow and surrounding sewer network to bring it back into compliance with its environmental permit.

While the pressures on our water system are complex and certainly cannot be fixed overnight, this record penalty is a strong step in the right direction towards tougher enforcement and follows 59 prosecutions concluded by the Environment Agency since 2015. These prosecutions have secured record fines of over £150m against polluting water companies, and the Environment Agency has also now launched the largest criminal investigation examining over 2,200 sewage treatment works.

Fundamental change to our system will require significant long-term investment; however, we are taking action and starting to see change on this.

The Government’s Plan for Water is delivering more investment, strong regulation, and tougher enforcement, and includes over £2.2bn of new, accelerated investment being directed into vital infrastructure to improve water quality and secure future supplies.

We have set stringent targets for water companies to reduce sewage spills from storm overflows – driving the largest infrastructure programme in water company history of £60bn over 25 years.

This includes front-loading action in particularly important and sensitive sites, including bathing waters, and will result in hundreds of thousands fewer sewage discharges.

Overall, our bathing waters have improved significantly over time. In the 1990s just 28 per cent of bathing waters met the highest standards in force at that time and currently around 90 per cent of bathing waters currently meet the highest standards of ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, up from just 76 per cent in 2010.

While bathing water quality is influenced by a number of factors including agriculture, wildlife and local activities, tackling sewage pollution will contribute to driving improvements in water quality at bathing waters.

Robbie Moore is Minister for Water and Rural Growth.