THE Liverpool City Region has announced a significant plan to clean the River Mersey.
The Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, has revealed a key agreement with United Utilities and the Mersey Rivers Trust.
This is part of a bigger national plan to improve the quality of water and speed up the clean-up of the River Mersey.
The agreement, known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), supports the Government's plan for cleaner water.
It aims to tackle pollution and reduce storm overflows, with a goal of making the Mersey free from discharges.
The MOU creates a joint five-year action plan to reduce sewage discharges, improve water quality, and boost biodiversity across the Liverpool City Region.
Mayor Steve Rotheram said: "The River Mersey is part of who we are – a symbol of our past and our future.
"We’ve made huge progress in cleaning up the river over the last 30 years, but now it’s time to finish the job.
"By working together with United Utilities, the Mersey Rivers Trust and the Government, we will accelerate the clean-up of our great river and work towards my ambition of a discharge-free Mersey by 2030."
The plan supports the Government’s Storm Overflows Reduction Plan, which aims to cut discharges by 40 per cent by 2040.
In 2023, raw sewage was discharged into England’s rivers and seas for more than 4 million hours, a 129 per cent increase from the previous year.
Louise Beardmore, chief executive officer of United Utilities, said: "We have an ambitious plan, including the largest ever investment programme in water and wastewater infrastructure in a century, to transform the region’s waterways and enable the step change people want to see.
"We care deeply about the River Mersey and will continue to do everything we can to ensure its healthy future."
The MOU will see the partners develop a five-year pipeline of projects aimed at improving water quality, reducing flood risks, and enhancing biodiversity.
These projects will explore nature-based solutions, such as sustainable drainage systems and natural flood management techniques, to reduce pressure on the sewer network and cut the risk of overflows.
