Raw sewage was discharged into England’s rivers and seas nearly 300,000 times last year, according to Environment Agency (EA) data released on Thursday. Storm overflows, intended for extreme wet weather, spilled 291,492 times, a 35% reduction from record levels in 2024. However, the total duration of spills more than halved to 1.8 million hours, down from almost 4 million hours the previous year.
The reduction occurred despite parts of England experiencing drought for several months in 2025, with four water companies imposing hosepipe bans. Campaigners noted that spills were still nearly 1 million hours higher than in 2018, despite far fewer overflows being monitored then, pointing to long-term infrastructure failures.
Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “When sewage is pouring out even in a dry year, you really know the system is broken. These aren’t stormwater overflows; they’re all-weather waste pipes.” Michelle Walker of the Rivers Trust added that many discharges on dry days are likely illegal, and that low river flows make each spill more concentrated and damaging.
Water companies attributed the reduction partly to dry weather but also to record investment, with £104bn planned over five years funded by a 36% rise in average customer bills. Water UK stated: “By building bigger storm tanks and expanding capacity… we will halve spills over the next five years.” The EA emphasised that sustained maintenance and investment are needed for lasting improvements.
Water minister Emma Hardy acknowledged the reduction but said “there is still an unacceptable amount of sewage entering our waterways”. In Yorkshire, where the water company was downgraded for increased pollution, a hosepipe ban lasted five months. Karen Shackleton of Ilkley Clean River Group said the report “creates a cover for water companies’ illegal pollution and neglect of our infrastructure”.
