Burnham-On-Sea MP James Heappey has co-sponsored a new parliamentary Bill which aims to crack down on the amount of sewage entering our seas.
Over the past few years, Burnham has struggled with the quality of its bathing water and Mr Heappey says he has been working hard to ensure this improves, as well as pushing for a better understanding of what is causing the water to be rated as poor.
The Bathing Waters Bill would introduce penalties on water companies if sewage was found to have been pumped into the sea.
These fines would then be used for three things to prevent any contamination. These would be: providing farmers with funds to store water in attenuation ponds to slow down the water flow, creating more lakes and reservoirs and providing water butts in residential properties.
Mr Heappey says these measure would help Burnham build on the work it has already done to tackle the issues.
He told Burnahm-On-Sea.com: “I am pleased to support this Bill as I know a lot of hard work has gone in to significantly improve the water quality in Burnham over the past few years.”
“The behaviour of local residents has improved dramatically but we needed to make some big changes with regards to farms and these measures would help them to do all they can to help. Burnham-on-Sea is a fantastic place to visit and we want to make sure our water is of the highest standard so we can provide the best experience we can as a seaside town.”
The Bill has also been endorsed by Surfers Against Sewage and The Angling Trust.
