Last Water Quality in Rivers session: EAC details what water company CEOs will be quizzed on

The EAC's final evidence hearing for the Water Quality in Rivers inquiry will take place Wednesday October 13th.

Ahead of the session the EAC has revealed that CEOs from five of the largest water and sewerage companies in England will be quizzed by a panel of MPs, led by chair Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, on subjects including: the effectiveness of self-monitoring sewage spills; how pollution from fats, oils and greases, chemicals, and plastic pollution can be tackled; current regulation and enforcement of pollution incidents; and whether water companies are making adequate investment to fix these problems.

The chief executives, or 'witnesses' as they're referred to in EAC circulars, that will come under the EAC's scrunity are as follows:

• Severn Trent chief executive officer Liv Garfield CBE
• Thames Water chief executive officer Sarah Bentley
• Northumbrian Water Group chief executive officer Heidi Mottram CBE
• South West Water chief executive officer Susan Davy
• Southern Water chief executive officer Ian McAulay

The EAC outlined that it had heard 'shocking reports of widespread pollution in our rivers' during the course of the inquiry, something that has been supported by recent reports from both Water UK and The Rivers Trust, the Rivercide documentary as well as Southern Water's record 90 million fine for illegal discharges of sewage earlier this year.

A report on the Water Quality in Rivers inquiry is due to be published by the end of the year.

Stay tuned for our report on the session.