Clean Water at Home and Abroad: A Crisis We Cannot Ignore

Clean water is fundamental to public health, environmental sustainability, and the enjoyment of our natural landscapes. Due to our climate, the South East is an area of water scarcity, and with housing targets putting ever more pressure on our water supplies, it is vital that we have the water infrastructure needed to meet growing demand. In recent years, parts of Mid Sussex have experienced cuts to their fresh water supply, causing distress to some and inconvenience to many. This month, I put this challenge to Southern Water and the Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook. The public must have confidence that new housing won’t result in more cuts to supplies in our villages and towns.

Having enough tap water is, of course, only part of the challenge: untreated sewage is pouring into UK waters more than 1,000 times a day. Between 2020 and 2022, England's water companies used storm overflows over a million times, totalling 7.5 million hours. Since coming to office, Labour has announced an independent commission to review water companies, but more urgent action is needed to clean up our waterways in the UK.

However, the challenge of securing clean water and sanitation extends beyond our national borders. Last week, I attended an event organised by WaterAid, where I was shocked to learn that globally, one in ten people don’t have access to clean water, and 2.5 billion—one in two people—don’t have a decent toilet of their own where waste is effectively managed. For women and girls, this presents an even bigger challenge; poor hygiene practices are estimated to account for 11% of all maternal deaths. It is a tragedy that something we in Britain think should always be available—clean water, a bar of soap, and a hygienic toilet—is out of reach for billions of people.

Despite this need, the Labour government announced reductions to its overseas aid budget a few weeks ago to boost defence spending. While I agree with the need to increase defence spending, cutting overseas development is the wrong approach. Increasing the tax on social media firms and other tech giants is a viable alternative that the Liberal Democrats are pushing for. Supporting the poorest in the world is not only morally the right thing to do; it also strengthens the UK’s soft power. Where we pull out, Russia and China will be certain to fill the void.

While we strive to ensure clean waterways at home, we must also honour our commitments abroad. Restoring the overseas development budget would affirm our dedication to building a fairer, healthier world for all.