Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 38
38
Accepted
Contamination from wastewater and sewage significantly increases AMR pathogen levels in waterways.
Conclusion
Wastewater is water that has been affected by domestic, commercial or industrial activities, as well as agricultural run-off and hospital waste.96 Sewage is wastewater that contains human waste. Sewage discharges are the release of raw, untreated sewage into waterways such as rivers.97 Metals, biocides, pesticides, and antimicrobial residues can build up and have a significant impact on the environment.98 There are increased levels of AMR pathogens in waterways that have been contaminated with wastewater or sewage.99 92 C&AG’s Report, para 2.26 93 Q 17, C&AG’s Report, paras 13, 2.27 94 Qq 17, 90; C&AG’s Report, paras 2.28, 2.29 95 Q 90; C&AG’s Report, para 2.29 96 AR0003, AR0015 97 House of Commons Library, Sewage Discharges, 24 May 2024 98 C&AG’s Report, para 3.16 99 Q 25; National Engineering Policy Centre, Testing the waters: reducing health risks from water pollution, May 2024 20
Government Response Summary
The government agrees, committing to providing a White Paper in Autumn 2025 in response to the Independent Water Commission's recommendations on public health in water systems and continuing the Chemical Investigations Programme, with further research commissioned by Summer 2026.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
8.1 The department agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2027 8.2 The Independent Water Commission, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, published its report on 21 July 2025. It recommends making public health a statutory objective for water companies and highlights their role in tackling antimicrobial resistance through better wastewater management. It also recommends that the UK and Welsh governments should tighten regulatory oversight of sludge activity by moving the treatment, storage and use of sludge into the Environmental Permitting Regulations. The department will provide a full response via a White Paper in Autumn 2025, setting out its approach to embedding public health across the water system, ensuring public health is addressed substantively and systemically. 8.3 The department has been working with water companies under their Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP), to improve the evidence base on the behaviour and fate of contaminants during treatment processes. Research from phase 3 of CIP investigated antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and sewage sludge and evidence suggested that anaerobic digestion – the prevalent sewage sludge treatment method – demonstrated some level of effectiveness in reducing AMR in sludge. Building upon these findings, phase 4 aims to delve deeper into the relationship between AMR and sludge and will report in 2027. 8.4 Defra is also in discussions with DHSC and stakeholders to understand the evidence gaps on human health and wastewater. The department will commission further research to address these gaps by Summer 2026 and will continue to test and improve the evidence base.