Anger as sewage spills into rivers and seas double

STORM overflows dumped untreated sewage into rivers and seas for more than 3.6million hours in 2023 – more than double the previous year.

The latest figures come amid growing levels of public anger over the state of Britain’s waterways and beaches.

Campaigners said the scale of raw sewage discharges was a ‘final indictment of a failing industry’ and called for a reform of environmental regulators.

Environment Agency data shows there were 464,056 spills across England last year, up 54 per cent from 301,091 in 2022, which the organisation said was partly due to the sixth-wettest year on record.

The duration of the spills more than doubled from 1.7million hours in 2022.

EA director of water Helen Wakeham said the figures were ‘disappointing’ but not surprising. ‘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.’ Overflows dump untreated sewage into rivers and the sea, usually during heavy rainfall to stop sewers backing up.

James Wallace, chief executive of River Action, said water companies had ‘run amok with bill-payers’ money’, adding: ‘Rather than investing in future-proofing their infrastructure, fixing leaky pipes, upgrading wastewater treatment plants, these international businesses have plundered our most precious natural resource, fresh water.’

Industry body Water UK said the results were ‘unacceptable’ but planned to triple investment to cut spills by 40 per cent by 2030. ‘We now need Ofwat to give us the green light so we that can get on with it,’ a spokesperson urged. Water minister Robbie Moore said firms ‘must go further and faster to tackle storm overflows and clean up our precious waterways’.