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UK water companies earned £340m discharging industrial waste
An investigation by Watershed Investigations, The Guardian, and River Action has revealed that UK water and wastewater companies earned more than £340 million last year by discharging industrial and commercial wastewater into sewage treatment plants.
Research indicates that up to 608 billion litres of industrial wastewater enter these facilities annually from sources including pharmaceutical companies, power stations, hospitals, and food factories. Experts warn that most sewage treatment plants utilize biological treatment systems that are not designed to remove industrial chemicals. Consequently, pollutants are often released into rivers, seas, and lakes as ‘treated wastewater,’ or remain in sewage sludge used as agricultural fertilizer.
Under current laws in England, water companies are responsible for issuing ‘industrial wastewater discharge consents’ to businesses, effectively allowing them to self-regulate and monitor their own compliance. The investigation highlights a lack of oversight, noting that there is no independent regulatory body or central register to monitor this process, and environmental protection agencies currently have no direct role in the permitting system.
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What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Sewage treatment plants are not designed to remove most industrial chemicals. utrinskivesnik.mk · denesen.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 3 SOURCES] An investigation was conducted by Watershed Investigations, The Guardian, and River Action. utrinskivesnik.mk · denesen.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 3 SOURCES] UK water companies earned over £340 million last year by discharging industrial and commercial wastewater into sewage treatment plants. utrinskivesnik.mk · denesen.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 3 SOURCES] Water companies issue their own discharge permits and monitor their own compliance. utrinskivesnik.mk · denesen.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 3 SOURCES] There is no independent regulatory body or central register overseeing the industrial wastewater discharge process. utrinskivesnik.mk · denesen.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 3 SOURCES] Up to 608 billion litres of industrial wastewater enter sewage treatment works annually from various industrial sources. utrinskivesnik.mk · denesen.mk · nezavisen.mk