The Secretary of State must prepare a plan for the purposes of—
reducing discharges from the storm overflows of sewerage undertakers whose area is wholly or mainly in England, and
reducing the adverse impacts of those discharges.
The reference in subsection (1)(a) to reducing discharges of sewage includes—
reducing the frequency and duration of the discharges, and
reducing the volume of the discharges.
The reference in subsection (1)(b) to reducing adverse impacts includes—
reducing adverse impacts on the environment, and
reducing adverse impacts on public health.
The plan may in particular include proposals for—
reducing the need for anything to be discharged by the storm overflows;
treating sewage that is discharged by the storm overflows;
monitoring the quality of watercourses, bodies of water or water in underground strata into which the storm overflows discharge;
obtaining information about the operation of the storm overflows.
When preparing the plan the Secretary of State must consult—
the Environment Agency,
the Authority,
the Council,
Natural England,
sewerage undertakers whose area is wholly or mainly in England, or persons representing them, and
such other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.
The Secretary of State must publish the plan before 1 September 2022.
The Secretary of State may at any time revise the plan, having consulted the persons referred to in subsection (5), and must publish any revised version.
The plan, and any revised version of it, must be laid before Parliament once it is published.