The rivers and streams in our region are cleaner thanks to the start of a £265 million programme of investment at more than 100 treatment works across the region.

We maintained the good performance of our wastewater treatment works, with 367 out of 371 meeting their Environment Agency permits for the second year in succession. We also started a programme to upgrade 230km of sewers by 2015, replacing 11.5km during 2010-11.

We launched a proactive campaign to reduce the number of pollution incidents. This included increasing routine ‘jetting’ to clean sewers and introducing regular reviews of pollution hotspots using CCTV cameras to monitor the condition of sewers.

At Ashford in Kent, we trialled a device to clean sewers. Called a Flusher, the device holds back wastewater until pressure forces it to open, creating a tide to wash away debris and fat.

We also strengthened our relationship with the Environment Agency by alerting it earlier about potential pollution incidents and we set up a group to review the performance of our sewers and identify areas for improvement.