3.6m hours of sewage dumping
STORM overflows dumped sewage into rivers and seas across England for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023 – more than double the previous year, figures show.
The data published by the Environment Agency (EA) reveal there were 464,056 spills in 2023, up 54% from 301,091 in 2022, which the organisation said was partly due to England experiencing its sixth-wettest year on record.
The figures reveal the frequency and duration of spills from storm overflows, which dump untreated sewage into rivers and the sea, usually during heavy rainfall to stop sewers backing up, amid high levels of public concern and anger over the state of England’s waterways and beaches.
They were described as “disappointing” but “sadly not surprising” by the EA while campaigners said the scale of discharges was a “final indictment of a failing industry”.
The duration of the sewage spills had more than doubled from 1,754,921 hours hours in 2022, to 3,606,170 hours in 2023, the figures show.
Both the frequency and duration of spills were also up on 2020 levels, which saw comparable amounts of rainfall.
The figures are at their highestever levels, although officials caution that comparisons over the years are difficult as an increasing number of storm overflows have been fitted with monitors over time, and all now have the technology to record spills.
Environment Agency director of water Helen Wakeham said: “We are pleased to see record investment from the water sector, but we know it will take time for this to be reflected in spill data. It is a complex issue that won’t be solved overnight.
“No other country has the level of monitoring we do, with 100% of storm overflows in England now fitted with a monitor.”
Water minister Robbie Moore said: “I have been clear that sewage pollution in our waters is unacceptable, which is why in just the last few months we announced a consultation to ban water bosses’ bonuses when criminal breaches have occurred, quadrupled company inspections next year, fast-tracked £180 million investment to cut spills, launched a whistleblowing portal for water company workers to report breaches and will soon set out our plans to ban wet wipes containing plastic.
“Today’s data shows water companies must go further and faster to tackle storm overflows and clean up our precious waterways.”
In response to the figures, a spokesperson for industry body Water UK said: “These results are unacceptable and demonstrate exactly why we urgently need regulatory approval to upgrade our system so it can better cope with the weather.
“We have a plan to sort this out by tripling investment which will cut spills by 40% by 2030 – more than double the Government’s target.
“We now need the regulator Ofwat to give us the green light so that we can get on with it,” they urged.
The water companies say they want to triple investment to £10 billion over the period 2025-2030 to tackle the problem, which would be paid for through consumer bills.
But clean water campaigner Feargal
Sharkey told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “The truth is if anybody is going to be paying for this, any investment at this point needs to be made out of shareholders’ pockets and the public should not put another penny of their money, because we do not want to pay twice for something we have already paid for and didn’t get.”
James Wallace, chief executive of campaign group River Action, said: “The scale of the discharges by water companies is a final indictment of a failing industry.”
He called for reform of environmental regulators and for failing water companies to be refinanced and restructured to put people above profits.
Shadow environment secretary Steve Reed said water company bosses should not be allowed bonuses for “this level of failure”.