WELLINGTON’S MP Gideon Amos has joined calls for the scrapping of water regulator Ofwat after shocking new figures on the discharge of sewage were revealed.

Wessex Water pumped 404,880 hours of sewage into waterways last year, according to newly published data.

Mr Amos, who worked to secure ‘Bathing Water’ status and investment in extra clean up measures for the River Tone, in Taunton, said local people were increasingly concerned about the spoiling of the river running through the constituency, together with its tributaries.

His Liberal Democrat party has called for the Government to replace Ofwat with a new regulator with ‘proper enforcement powers’ to hold water companies accountable and put a stop to the sewage scandal.

Mr Amos said: “Here in Taunton and Wellington, water quality has been revealed as poor by the Environment Agency and people are rightly appalled at what is happening to the Tone, while facing sky high water bills.

“We want to see these firms turned into public benefit companies, with duties to put cleaning up pollution before profit.

“But we need a complete system change if we are going to really help clean up our waters.

“Recent Governments have failed to stop the pollution, and stood by as profits have been maximised, dividends sent overseas, and millions paid out in bonuses.

“It is time to get tough, so the Government also needs to act now by putting in place a new regulator which will genuinely protect British rivers and seas from being pumped with disgusting sewage.

“It is time for Ofwat to go.

“Liberal Democrats will continue to work on improving the River Tone and all our waterways.

“Only a few of us would take a dip in our river right now, but all of us want to see an end to the pollution being pumped into it.”