Sewage in our waters

There is a growing waste problem, which has been around for some time and is only getting worse. Dumping of sewage is threatening the health of our rivers. Plastics have penetrated deep into the world’s oceans. Leakages from landfills, farming and industry are contaminating our soil and groundwater. Waste pollution harms public health, biodiversity and the environment. To address it, new laws and huge investments are needed. There has been much recent controversy in the UK around Sewage in Our Waters. New laws would have to specify who has the responsibility of undertaking the transition and the investments – water companies, producers, consumers or governments? Preventing transboundary waste flows would require international action to plug loopholes in domestic laws and international conventions.

To debate these issues, the hosts bring together the Sky News Economics Editor Ed Conway who has written on legacy sewage systems, the CEO of a key frontline organisation tackling river pollution River Action UK James Wallace, and policy expert on international laws Kamala Dawar from QMUL Law. The event will begin with an introduction on the state of our waters by LSE’s Swati Dhingra, External Member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee.

Event description is based directly on the source.