Spending on waterways is ‘skewed’ towards CSOs

Government spending to improve the quality of river water is “skewed” towards tackling issues with combined sewer overflows (CSOs) despite them only accounting for 7% of pollution in waterways, an Environment Agency director has declared. Helen Wakeman, deputy director of water at the Environment Agency, explained that while water and sewerage companies contribute around 36% of pollutants in waterways, CSOs were not the only cause that should be focussed on. Wakeman urged stakeholders to look at the bigger picture of pollution sources when apportioning investment.