Liberal Democrats in South Cambs have called for water companies to be overhauled following their apology for sewage dumping, which was criticised as "overdue".

In a statement issued through Water UK on Thursday, May 18, water and sewage companies admitted they were slow taking action to stop sewage discharges into the coastline, rivers and lakes.

In the wake of the announcement, South Cambs Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Pippa Heylings said the apology is too late, and is meaningless unless Anglian Water is completely reformed.

The Lib Dems are calling for water firms to become public benefit companies, making environmental goals more important than profits - as well as making it compulsory for environmental experts to sit on their company boards.

Pippa said: "This announcement is too little too late after years of putting public health at risk and large-scale environmental damage, which has previously been arrogantly dismissed by the water industry.

"Protecting the environment should be more important than making overseas investors rich. Sadly, Anglian Water still has their priorities all wrong.

"To add insult to injury, Anthony Browne has spent recent years voting down tougher action on polluting water firms. He too owes people in South Cambridgeshire an apology.

"I have launched my own campaign to show just how much support there is for cleaning up our rivers and residents I talk to on the doorstep about this are really angry."

In response, South Cambs MP Anthony Browne said this was "typical game-playing" by the Lib Dems.

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He said: "I have worked hard with environment groups, regulators, the industry, and ministers to tackle both water shortages and sewage discharges.

"This Government is the first in history to introduce legislation to force water companies to curb sewage discharges, and we now have an energetic £59bn programme to achieve that.

"The Government also backed my successful campaign to see water bosses lose bonuses and dividends if they do not tackle sewage discharges effectively.

"The Liberal Democrats voted against every single law that is forcing water companies to tackle sewage, and owe an apology to the country for trying to block it.

"The local Liberal Democrats should be judged by what they are doing to South Cambs.

"By pushing an unsustainable housebuilding agenda which will make sewage discharges and water shortages far worse and voting to bulldoze concrete busways though a precious ancient orchard in the green belt, they will be responsible for environmental destruction on a massive scale."

A spokesperson for Anglian Water said: "We fully support WUK’s apology on behalf of the wider industry. We know we all need to act faster to address storm overflows. 

"To our customers, we’re sorry. We share your aspirations that our rivers should be beautiful places, rich in nature, that can be enjoyed, and we are determined to play our role in making that a reality."