Labour vows to make UK's rivers cleanest on record

Sewage pollution will be halved by 2030, promises Reed

- ARCHIE MITCHELL

Labour will leave Britain with the cleanest rivers on record by cutting sewage pollution from water firms in half by 2030, the environment secretary will say.

Steve Reed will today promise to make the UK’s rivers the cleanest since records began with a £104bn investment to rebuild the country’s crumbling sewage pipes. He will also roll out a set of strict new rules to slash pollution and a “root and branch” overhaul of the way water companies are regulated.

With a landmark report into the industry being published tomorrow, the environment secretary is to promise families across the country cleaner beaches and healthier rivers.

It will mark the first time ministers have set a clear target for reducing sewage pollution against which they can be judged at the next election.

The package is also aimed at reducing phosphorus from treated wastewater by half by 2028 - the pollutant causes algae blooms, which are harmful to wildlife.

The pledge comes as the government faces public disgust over record sewage spills and rising bills, while tasked with turning around the poor governance of debt-ridden water firms.