Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon has joined campaigners on the River Nidd to call for stronger action against sewage pollution.
The MP visited Blenkhorn’s Boats in Knaresborough on Friday (23rd October) as part of a day of events organised by Wild Waters Yorkshire.
Campaigners are urging MPs to use the forthcoming Clean Water Bill to strengthen protection for rivers, lakes and the coastline, and hold water companies to account.
Tom Gordon MP said:
“Yorkshire Water certainly seem to want a pat on the back about the fact that they are now trying to do works, but that is the result of grass roots campaigning over a number of years and being pressured into it by government too.
"Obviously no river, no coastline should still see the record levels of dumping that we see.”
The Knaresborough visit was one of three events held across Yorkshire, with York Outer MP Luke Charters and York Central MP Rachael Maskell also meeting campaigners in their constituencies.
Wild Waters Yorkshire surveyed 433 Yorkshire Water customers in September, gathering responses largely through mainstream social media groups.
Of those surveyed, 92% said they were very concerned about sewage in rivers and seas, with a further 4.6% quite concerned.
The findings reflect the views of those who took part, rather than a representative poll of all Yorkshire Water customers.
The campaign also found that 76% of respondents walked or ran beside rivers, lakes or the sea, while 33% took part in wild swimming and 16% used boats or paddleboards.
Among the 406 people who answered a question about ownership, 81.3% said water companies should be run in the public sector.
Campaigners are calling for an end to the privatised water model, stronger legal accountability for harm to public health and the environment, and tougher independent regulation.
They say the proposed legislation offers an opportunity to improve protection for waterways including the River Nidd, and want MPs across Yorkshire to support stronger measures.
Yorkshire Water has previously said it is investing £1.5bn to reduce discharges from more than 450 storm overflows across the region.
The company says the work forms part of a wider programme to improve infrastructure and customer service.