Environment Minister Steve Barclay has announced he will stop water companies from monitoring and reporting on pollution from their own treatment works.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday (January 24), he also called for tougher measures on water companies after raw sewage discharge has been reported in the sea, especially in places like Exmouth. 

All East Devon beaches were closed for swimming on Monday, after reported sewage discharge into the sea after Storm Isha.

MPs called for a bill in Parliament to increase the powers of the Environment Agency, to give them greater responsibility and new powers to improve reporting on sewage discharges. 

Devon MPs have accused South West Water of 'marking their own homework'.

Responsibility for collecting data on final effluent since 2009 is with water companies – where it has been since 2009. This change came about as the Government sought to offload the cost of collecting this important information. 

However, this means they are also the only ones able to properly gather data and report on findings in relation to sewage discharges. Data collection and assessment is done ‘in-house’, with little oversight from Government or environmental regulators. 

Steve Barclay told the privatised industry he would put an end to operator self-monitoring in a toughening of the regulatory approach.

Water companies were allowed to do their own testing of treated effluent to make sure it met the legal requirements of their permits, as well as monitoring their releases of raw sewage via storm overflows.

The bill was tabled by Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Honiton Richard Foord.

South West Water declined to comment.