Most sewage spills in England may be illegal, new research suggests
New analysis indicates that a significant majority of sewage spills in England over the past two years may have occurred illegally, according to findings from water campaigner Fear
By BBC News
A recent analysis suggests that most sewage spills into England's waterways over the last two years may have been illegal and unpunished. The research, conducted by water campaigner Feargal Sharkey, indicates that approximately 86% of the raw sewage spills he examined occurred during periods without heavy rain, potentially rendering these discharges unlawful.
The findings emerged following the leak of court documents, which provided a definition of "heavy rain" conditions that had not been publicly clarified by the Environment Agency (EA). Sharkey's analysis focused on over 350 storm overflow outlets across England, which include both major sewage treatment works and smaller facilities, serving more than 30 million people.
Sharkey stated that his analysis revealed that the majority of sewage spills took place under what could be classified as "normal" weather conditions, contradicting UK law that prohibits the release of raw sewage during such times. He expressed concern over the regulatory framework, stating, "It's totally outrageous, both from the point of the water companies who are exploiting the weak regulation but also from the Environment Agency's point of view, where they've not been doing their job properly."
The EA has responded to these claims by asserting that the definition of "heavy rain" used in Sharkey's analysis applies only to Southern Water sites and that different regions may have varying thresholds for rainfall. However, Sharkey noted that even when accounting for regional rainfall variations, the level of potential illegality remained significant, as most spills occurred during relatively low rainfall.
The issue of sewage spills has garnered increasing public attention and frustration, particularly as the current infrastructure often combines rainwater and sewage in the same system. This can lead to system overload during rainfall, resulting in the discharge of untreated sewage into rivers, lakes, and seas.
In 2024, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) criticized the EA for not properly enforcing legislation regarding sewage discharges, stating that the agency was permitting spills during normal weather rather than in exceptional circumstances as required by law. Following this, the EA issued new guidance clarifying that spills should not occur during normal weather conditions.
In response to Sharkey's findings, a spokesperson for Water UK, which represents water companies, reiterated that discharges should only happen in exceptional circumstances and that efforts are underway to eliminate all sewage discharges as quickly as possible.