Guildford MP Zöe Franklin has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to make reforming the water industry one of his first priorities in office, after new analysis revealed the extent of sewage pollution affecting local waterways.

The figures show that Thames Water discharged sewage into waterways across the Guildford constituency for 857 hours last year across 83 separate spills, raising fresh concerns about the state of local rivers and the performance of water companies. And at a time when the company is reporting post-tax profit of £113m for the 12 months to the end of March (compare with a £1.51bn post-tax loss the previous year) having hiked water bills by 40%.

For many residents, the River Wey is at the heart of the local community. It should be a clean and thriving waterway enjoyed by walkers, rowers, kayakers, paddleboarders and wildlife alike. Instead, repeated sewage discharges have left many residents frustrated and concerned about the impact on the environment and public health.

Following years of environmental failures, rising bills and financial mismanagement within the water industry, the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to replace the current privatised model with customer-owned mutual companies that operate in the interests of customers and the environment rather than shareholders.

The Liberal Democrats are urging the Prime Minister to:

• Put water companies into special administration immediately, permanently restructuring the company as a mutual run for the benefit of its customers.
• Transition all existing water companies into public-benefit mutuals, owned by the people rather than the state, ensuring they are run for public health and the environment instead of private profit.
• Abolish the toothless regulator Ofwat and replace it with a powerful new Clean Water Authority with statutory powers to enforce strict environmental standards and crack down on repeat offenders in Guildford and across the country.
• End the Great Sewage Cover-Up by forcing water companies to report the volume, not just the duration, of sewage spills.
• Implement an immediate, legally binding ban on all water company executive bonuses, free from loopholes.
• Ensure full accountability by recusing Number 10 advisor James Purnell from any involvement in decisions regarding Thames Water, given his previous work for a firm advising private utilities and major investors.

Zöe Franklin, Liberal Democrat MP for Guildford, said:

"People across Guildford are rightly furious that sewage continues to be pumped into our local waterways while Thames Water's finances remain in disarray and customers face ever-higher bills.

“The River Wey should be one of our area's greatest assets. It ought to be a place where residents can enjoy being on the water and where wildlife can thrive. Instead, repeated sewage spills are damaging the environment and undermining public confidence in the system.

“It is an insult to local residents that water companies have been allowed to get away with this for so long while executives and investors have continued to benefit.

“Andy Burnham has a clear choice: stand up for communities like ours and deliver the fundamental reform the water industry desperately needs, or allow the same broken system to continue.

“We need a clean break from the failed privatisation model. Water companies should be run in the interests of customers and the environment, not shareholders, and communities like Guildford deserve nothing less.”

I’m committed to building greener, fairer and more thriving communities across Guildford and our villages. A big part of that is having cleaner rivers, free from sewage, waste and pollution.  

That’s why I was delighted to visit Wey Kayak Club to support this year’s Big Paddle Cleanup, which runs from 23 May to 7 June.

Access to clean, safe water is essential – and not just for protecting our natural environment, but for supporting recreation, wellbeing and community life here in Guildford. Initiatives like this not only protect our environment but bring people together to make a real, visible difference locally.  

The Big Paddle Cleanup is an annual initiative run by Paddle UK, the national governing body for paddle sport, that brings communities together to remove plastic pollution and general river rubbish from our waterways. Last year alone, 4,228 volunteers across the country spent more than 8,000 hours on the water, collecting an incredible 2,000 sacks of waste. 

Efforts like this show what can be achieved when communities work together, but they also underline the scale of the problem facing our waterways. I will continue to push for stronger action to protect our rivers and ensure they are safe, clean and accessible for everyone.

ZERO Carbon Guildford is excited to announce that Zöe Franklin MP will be attending two inspiring community events at ZERO on Saturday, 26th April. The events offer a unique opportunity for residents to get involved in impactful local initiatives - and to meet their local MP.

Zöe Franklin MP says: “I look forward to visiting these two great initiatives at ZERO Carbon’s new location on the 26th April. 

As a parent I am all too aware of the incredible cost of dressing our children, especially when they were very small. Through the positive environmental impact of recycling and loaning out baby clothes, the Surrey Hills Baby Clothes Library has saved an incredible amount of waste from landfill while supporting local families through their free to use lending model. 

As an environmental community hub, ZERO Carbon Guildford drives local action on issues including in this instance water quality. Their commitment to supporting sustainability initiatives is making a real difference in our community. 

I hope many of you will join me at these events.”

Water Quality Blitz – River Testing Project 

📍 ZERO, Riverside Business Centre, Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GU1 4UG 

🕒 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

🔗 Event Details

Residents of Guildford are rolling up their sleeves on Friday, 26th April, to take part in a Water Quality Blitz hosted by ZERO Carbon Guildford, a local hub for environmental and community action.

The initiative aims to tackle rising concerns over pollution in Surrey’s waterways and contribute real data to national eff orts tracking river health highlighting environmental challenges and driving positive change.

Community Baby Shower & Baby Clothes Library 

📍 ZERO, Riverside Business Centre, Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GU1 4UG 

🕒 10:00 PM – 12:00 PM 

🔗 Event Details

Celebrate new beginnings at our heart warming community baby shower! Families are invited to connect with others, go behind the scenes of the library, pick up essential items from the baby clothes library, and learn about sustainable parenting.

These events showcase the power of community-led action and highlight the work being done locally to support both people and the planet. Zöe Franklin MP’s attendance underscores her continued commitment to environmental and social sustainability in Guildford.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get involved, meet your community, and chat with your MP. Everyone is welcome!

For more information, visit: www.zerocarbonguildford.org

“Not only a scandal, but an insult” on the day Thames Water bills increase by 31%.

Guildford Constituency MP Zöe Franklin has analysed the Environment Agency’s latest figures and is “horrified” by her findings. 

The latest figures, covering 2024, show Thames Water dumped sewage in our local waterways: 

• 94 separate times
• for a total of more than 944 hours
• the equivalent of 39 continuous days
• three times more than 2023 figures 

Statistics from 2023 showed 38 separate spillages, covering 300 hours. 

Zöe Franklin MP said: “I was horrified to see the appalling increase in the amount of sewage dumped in our waterways, and on the day everyone in Guildford and our villages is seeing their water bills increase by 31%, it is an even bigger insult. 

“Failing Thames Water is still paying bonuses to senior executives and shareholders while taking on even more debt on top of the £19bn it already owes its creditors.  

“We are all seeing our bills going up from today. And a third of what we pay is spent on repaying the interest on the company’s debt. 

Ms Franklin continued: “One lifelong Guildford resident wrote to me saying how sad he is to have seen the countryside decline so far since his youth. And it has been heartbreaking reading all the letters from schoolchildren, some still at primary school, who are worried about the damage Thames Water is doing to our environment.  

“One family told me their bill from today will be going up to £670 a year, an increase for them of nearly 50% since last year. “Is this a sort of joke?” they asked. Of course, they know it’s not. It’s a reality for all of us. 

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning for failing Thames Water to be made a “public benefit company”, where profit is no longer put ahead of serving its customers and protecting the environment. It is calling for OFWAT to be scrapped and replaced by a new regulator with the powers and the determination to hold water companies to account. 

Zöe Franklin added: “These latest figures are scandalous. The harm that Thames Water has caused to the waterways and countryside of Guildford and our villages is a disgrace.  

“Thames Water’s environmental vandalism cannot be allowed to continue.  

“I’d invite the company’s senior executives to look these schoolchildren in the eye and have to explain that because of their failures, in years to come those children may well be looking back with regret, just as that gentleman is already doing.”  

Environment Agency Event Duration Monitoring figures can be found here.