Restore Sussex's rivers by making sure water companies prioritise nature over profit

In 2023, water companies discharged raw sewage into England's rivers for a combined total of 3.6 million hours. 

This pollution causes serious damage, including to rivers in Sussex like the Ouse, Uck, Adur, Arun and Cuckmere. It harms nature, and prevents people from enjoying our precious rivers.

According to the Environment Agency, 0% of England's river stretches are in good health.

On 24 April 2024, Labour and Conservative MPs made this problem worse, by voting to impose a 'growth duty' on the regulator Ofwat - requiring it to consider growth when taking action against polluting water companies.

This makes it even more likely that water companies will be allowed to prioritise profit over people and the environment.

Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for East Grinstead and Uckfield, Benedict Dempsey is calling for our rivers to be cleaned up.

Benedict said, 'Sussex has some of the country's most beautiful rivers. But for too long, water companies have prioritised their profits and dividends over the environment. It's time for that to stop. We need to change the way water companies are run so that they have a duty to restore nature as well as turn a profit. Please join my campaign to make that happen.'

With a general election coming soon, now is the time to send a clear message to all MPs and parliamentary candidates in Sussex that we want to clean up our rivers.

To help do that, we want water companies to become Public Benefit Companies, so that they prioritise people and the environment over growth and profit.