Lib Dem leader canoes on river Severn

The leader of the Liberal Democrats boarded a canoe on the river Severn in Shrewsbury to highlight what he has called “absolutely scandalous” pollution issues.

Mr Davey was joined by North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan and Lib Dem candidates on the river on Friday (April 11) morning as part of a local election campaign trail.

New Lib Dem data has revealed that Severn Trent recorded the equivalent of over 1,000 days of sewage spills into the Severn and its tributaries in 2024, with the longest spill lasting for 117 days. 

The data shows that the Severn is the sixth worst affected river in the country for duration of sewage spills, with 21,458 hours of spills into the river itself last year.

Severn Trent also made the top ten for longest spills anywhere in the country in 2024, with a spill in the nearby Quinny Brook lasting 217 days – equivalent to over seven months worth of sewage dumping. The brook flows through the Shropshire Hills which is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The Liberal Democrat analysis has also revealed that company executives at Severn Trent earned a total income (including basic pay, pension contributions and bonuses) of £4,969,000. This, the politcal party says, is the highest collective income for water company bosses of any one company last year.

Severn Trent say that executive bonuses are not paid for from customer bills, and during the past 12 months, it has installed more than 1,500 improvements to storm overflows, with a further 600 to be delivered by autumn 2025.

“It is absolutely scandalous that the Conservatives let companies like Severn Trent get away scot free with pumping disgusting sewage into beautiful rivers like the Severn,” said Mr Davey, who also wants water company Ofwat scrapped and replaced. 

“Even worse, the Severn Trent executives responsible for polluting Shropshire’s rivers are pocketing eye-watering bonuses. 

“The sewage scandal has to end. We urgently need a tough new regulator with real teeth, and an immediate ban on bonuses for the executives damaging our environment.

“The Liberal Democrats are standing up against polluting water companies and for our local environment. Only a vote for Lib Dem candidates on 1 May is a vote to put a true local champion in the council chamber.”

Mrs Morgan added: “The people of Shropshire deserve better than this. Severn Trent are taking communities across our county for a ride and ruining our environment. The Conservatives allowed this scandal to go on year after year, and Labour have failed to take the action we need for our rivers and our community.

“The Liberal Democrats are standing up for Shropshire and focusing on issues that residents care about, whether it’s cutting crime, helping you see a GP or dentist, or cleaning up rivers polluted by filthy sewage.

“Every vote for the Liberal Democrats in May is a vote to elect a strong local champion, who will fight for a fair deal for you and your community.”

A spokesperson for Severn Trent said: “In Shropshire, we’re investing more than £250 million to improve river health and we’ve already installed around 150 solutions along the River Severn with more to come.

“We’re going further and faster to reduce spills from storm overflows ahead of government targets and we’re investing billions to do this work, and we expect that by December 2025 we will have reduced spills to an average of 18 per year. We’re committed to making a lasting difference and to play our part in helping Shropshire’s waterways be cleaner for generations to come.”