Water bosses in the UK could face jail under plans to clean up sewage-clogged rivers

LONDON (AP) — Water company bosses polluting waterways could face jail time under a new law the British government says will help clean up the country rivers, lakes and beaches clogged with sewage.

A bill introduced in parliament on Thursday would give regulators the power to ban bonuses for executives of polluting companies, as well as bring criminal charges against offenders. Executives who obstruct investigations could face up to two years in prison.

The state of Britain’s waterways has caused a stir amid campaigning for July 4th National ElectionsFor critics of the Conservative Party, which has been in power since 2010, the dirty water was a stark symbol of Britain’s ageing infrastructure and the effects of privatising essential council services.

Private water and sewerage companies routinely dump sewage into waterways when rains overwhelm sewer systems, often dating back to the Victorian era. Critics say the companies have failed to invest in infrastructure upgrades – but they continue to pay dividends to shareholders.

Water companies say they want to invest in upgrades but accuse the industry regulator, Ofwat, of preventing them from increasing customer bills enough to fund the upgrades.

Center-left Labour Party Government elected in July, promised to clean up the “unacceptable” state of Britain’s territorial waters.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed said that “water managers will no longer be lining their pockets by pumping out this waste”.

The bill, which must be approved by lawmakers, would also strengthen the powers of regulators and force water companies to publish real-time data on all sewage spills.

Clean water campaigner Feargal Sharkey said the good news was that “after years of denial there is at least a government ready to accept and acknowledge the scale of the problem”.

However, he added that existing environmental laws are rarely, if ever, applied.

“We don’t need new laws, we don’t need new laws, we’ve got 35 years of laws that have never been applied,” Sharkey told Sky News. “You should force them to come out and apply the laws as they are, that would be a huge step forward.”