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30 Oct 2003 : Column 385W—continued
Water Efficiency
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to encourage water efficiency in the (a) home and (b) commercial sector. [135470]
Mr. Morley: The Water Bill, currently before Parliament, contains a range of measures to advance water conservation. I have also asked Ofwat and the Environment Agency to review jointly the current and potential contribution that water efficiency can make to balancing the supply and demand for water. In addition to this more strategic work, Government are already engaged in a number of activities to encourage water efficiency in different sectors. Envirowise provides advice and guidance to businesses to promote water minimisation, and the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme has recently been extended to include sustainable water use technologies. I am also considering the feasibility of introducing a product labelling scheme to help domestic consumers identify water efficient fittings and appliances. This will complement the existing duty on water undertakers to promote the efficient use of water by their customers.
Water Sewers
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the causes of misconnections to surface water sewers. [135129]
30 Oct 2003 : Column 386W
Mr. Morley: Under section 106 of the Water Industry Act 1991, anyone wishing to make a connection to a public sewer must notify the relevant sewerage undertaker. If a sewerage undertaker is not informed of a proposal to connect, and a connection is subsequently made, the undertaker can, under section 109 of the Water Industry Act 1991, close the communication and recover any reasonable costs incurred.
Assessments of the causes of unlawful connections to public sewers are a matter for sewerage undertakers, on a case by case basis.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the number of misconnections to surface water sewers and the environmental impact this has had in the last five years. [135130]
Mr. Morley: Under section 106 of the Water Industry Act 1991, anyone wishing to make a connection to a public sewer must notify the relevant sewerage undertaker. If a sewerage undertaker is not informed of a proposal to connect, and a connection is subsequently made, the undertaker can, under section 109 of the Water Industry Act 1991, close the connection and recover any reasonable costs incurred.
Assessments of the numbers of unlawful connections to public sewers are a matter for sewerage undertakers.
The Environment Agency's role is to grant consents for discharges from sewers and to monitor pollution incidents. Where pollution from sewers is detected, the Agency can take action either against the sewerage undertaker or in co-operation with the undertaker against an illegal discharger to the sewer as appropriate. Normally the Agency would expect the sewerage undertaker to take appropriate enforcement action using its powers under the Water Industry Act 1991. The environmental impacts of unlawful connections to public sewers are a matter for the Agency.