Water companies released raw sewage into England’s rivers and seas for a record 3.6 million hours last year. The figure, showing a slight rise on 2023’s data, were released on Thursday, days before customers’ water bills rise.
James Wallace, CEO of River Action, said: “We sound like a broken record—but that’s because nothing has changed – the water industry is still broken. A year on from last year’s catastrophic pollution figures, the true scale of the UK’s water crisis is only now coming to light, thanks to increased real-time monitoring. The numbers are staggering: over 3.6 million hours of sewage spills from almost 450 thousand discharges. That’s equivalent to 412 continuous years of sewage polluting our rivers, lakes and seas. These figures have barely budged, testament to the deepening sewage scandal.”
South West Water was the worst offender for duration of spills, with 544,439 hours worth and 56,173 spills last year. The worst offender for the number of spills was United Utilities water company with 77,817 sewage spills last year lasting 450,778 hours.
They are among the list of companies that regulator Ofwat has brought enforcement cases against to investigate poor environmental performance and pollution from storm overflow spills.
The pumping of sewage into rivers and seas has become a major scandal in Britain, with privatised water companies accused of prioritising dividends over investment and dumping sewage in waterways when its ailing infrastructure cannot cope.
Water companies are increasing bills by an average of £123 a year from next month to pay for replacement and upgrading of ageing infrastructure.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “These figures are disgraceful and are a stark reminder of how years of underinvestment have led to water companies discharging unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes, and seas.”
Mr Reed pointed to “tough special measures” the Government had put on water companies, and said more than £100 billion in private funding had been secured for the next five years to invest in the water system.
But clean water campaigner and Undertones star Feargal Sharkey slammed the Government for failing to take adequate action to clean the nation’s waterways.
He said: “All this talk of putting the water industry under ‘tough special measures’ is complete and utter nonsense.
“This government has done little if anything that matters, that’s the ‘disgrace’.
It is the first full year that 100% of storm overflows have been monitored and the figures reveal that although the number of spills fell slightly compared with 2023, the duration of sewage discharges was up.
There were 450,398 recorded spills – which should only take place in “exceptional circumstances” to prevent sewers being overwhelmed in heavy rainfall and backing up into homes – in 2024, compared with 464,056 in 2023.
A spokesman for industry body Water UK described the results as “disappointing”, but said: “We are starting to see the effect of investment with many companies reducing the number of spills in their area, despite 2024 being one of the wettest years on record.
“From April water companies will invest £12 billion to almost halve spills from storm overflows by 2030.
“This is part of the largest amount of money ever spent on the natural environment to help support economic growth, build more homes, secure our water supplies and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.”