Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Not Addressed
Paragraph: 54
We have heard disturbing evidence that sewage treatment works and the rivers that they discharge...
Recommendation
We have heard disturbing evidence that sewage treatment works and the rivers that they discharge into are becoming breeding grounds for antimicrobial resistance. There will need to be cross-sector collaboration to reduce the growth of antimicrobial resistance genes in rivers. Following the work streams of the Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and the Environment programme on antimicrobial resistance, we 120 Water quality in rivers recommend that the Government bring together farming groups and water companies to decide on a programme of action to reduce opportunities for resistance to develop in the water environment.
Government response summary AI-generated
The Government states that it is already working closely with the Environment Agency, the Storm Overflows Taskforce and the water industry on relevant proposals to enable this and ensure accountability, mentioning water company commitments to full event duration monitoring and a duty to monitor water quality upstream and downstream.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
54
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
The Government agrees that engaging stakeholders on antimicrobial resistance in the environment will be a valuable step following the Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and the Environment programme. We are already engaging with water companies and UK Water Industry Research on their Chemicals Investigation Programme which includes work to help better understand the possible contribution from water industry assets and releases (both effluent and sludges) to the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Catchment partnerships also create a highly successful mechanism for local stakeholders, including water companies and farming groups, to work together on various water quality issues affecting catchments. We are expanding our evidence base all the time and we will also look to engage directly with farming groups to identify actions and opportunities for reducing resistance in the water environment.
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