The Government has announced that 100% of storm overflows across the water network in England have now been fitted with Event Duration Monitors (EDMs), meeting the ambitious target set by the government to do so by the end of 2023.
In 2010, just 7% of storm overflows had monitors fitted. Since then, the government has driven an increase in monitoring, with 100% oversight of overflows now achieved.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:
“The completion of storm overflow monitoring is a major step forward in better protecting our precious waterways, as well as the communities and wildlife that rely on them.
“The wealth of data collected from these monitors will ensure that we know the full extent to the problem – increasing transparency, revealing the worst-offending overflows, and enabling regulators to hold polluters to account.
“This step is just one of many ambitious actions set out under our Plan for Water, which is delivering more investment, stronger regulation, and tougher enforcement across the water system.”