Sewage spills threaten health and wildlife, warns WWF

Two-fifths of rivers in England and Wales are polluted with sewage, hitting wildlife and potentially threatening human health, conservationists have warned.

A report from environmental charity WWF said 80per cent of rivers failed to meet ecological standards, with half affected by sewage pollution. England’s nine water and sewerage companies reported 1,902 incidents last year, the first rise since 2012.

There are almost 18,000 licensed emergency sewer overflows in England and Wales, which discharge raw sewage during extreme rainfall, mostly into rivers.

Sewage pollution can cause rapid algae growth, starving rivers of the oxygen that insects, fish and other wildlife need and hitting animals such as otters and kingfishers at the top of the food chain.

Bacteria, pathogens and parasites also threaten the health of people whose hobbies or jobs bring them into contact with potentially infected water, such as surfers, rowers, anglers and wild swimmers. WWF said household waste also contributed, with wet wipes leading the way.

Ben Stafford, head of campaigns at WWF, said greater regulation was needed: “It should not be legally acceptable to pollute our rivers or frequently discharge untreated sewage.”

A spokesman for industry body Water UK said: “WWF have muddied the waters with an inaccurate picture.” He said the report “overstated” the link between the health of rivers and how sewage was treated or disposed, making no distinction between serious incidents and those considered to have “minimal impact”.

He added: “By 2020, the water industry will have spent around £25billion on environmental work.”