Shortly before the start of the International Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, the UK faces a new environmental debate. The nation reacted with dismay as Parliament refused to ban the discharge of unfiltered sewage into seas and rivers. The Daily Mail reported that many people expressed their anger on social media and in letters to MPs.
The government had previously allowed water treatment plants to discharge sewage that had not yet been fully treated. The chemicals used in purification are not available due to a shortage of truck drivers.
An amendment was introduced that would prevent water companies from pumping sewage into rivers, but only 22 lawmakers from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative ruling party backed the provision. According to the Daily Mail, Environment Minister George Eustis has ordered members of the House of Commons to vote against it.
The case is not over yet. The House of Lords is trying to force another vote in the House of Commons. Last year, more than 400,000 unfiltered sewage was discharged into waterways across the UK. Only 14 per cent of Britain’s rivers are rated as environmentally healthy
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