Water companies in England have come under fire after data revealed raw sewage was discharged for more than 3.6 million hours into rivers and seas last year, a 105% increase on the previous 12 months. The scale of untreated waste discharges made 2023 the worst year for storm water pollution, with early estimates suggesting the figure could exceed 4 million hours.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called for the scandal to be declared a national environmental emergency, urging the government to convene an urgent meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) to examine the impact of sewage pollution on public health. Total discharges from the 14,000 storm overflows owned by English water companies rose by 54% to 464,056, according to data submitted to the Environment Agency.
Senior industry figures blamed heavy rainfall over autumn and winter for putting pressure on the sewerage system. However, storm overflows are designed to cope with heavy rainfall and should only be used in exceptional circumstances. One senior executive admitted: 'We have wasted 15 years, we have not been investing enough.'
The data reveals huge spikes in some outflows. Forty per cent of South West Water outflows discharged raw sewage more than 40 times, while nearly a third of United Utilities outflows and 23% of Yorkshire Water outflows discharged 60 times or more. Any outflow with more than 60 discharges a year should prompt an Environment Agency investigation.
Some of the highest rises in discharge hours were recorded by Anglian Water (205% increase), Wessex Water (186%), Thames Water (163%), and Northumbrian Water (160%). The River Irwell and its tributary the Croal, flowing through Salford and Manchester, had the highest levels of sewage spills, with 95 spills per mile. The River Darwen near Blackburn and the River Avon through Bath and Bristol also featured in the top ten most polluted rivers.
Criticism was also directed at the government's plan to tackle raw sewage pollution, which gives water companies until 2035 to reduce sewage flowing into bathing waters and ecologically important areas, but allows discharges into other waterways until 2050, despite the climate crisis increasing rainfall intensity and frequency.
