In 2024 The Miracle Of Privatization Brought 4 Million Hours Of Raw Sewage Spills To The UK
Raw sewage was discharged into rivers and coastal waters in England for almost 4m hours last year, with waterways that have the highest environmental protections subjected to days of pollution. Data released by the Environment Agency on Thursday revealed water companies discharged untreated effluent for 3.62m hours, a slight increase on last year.
The data showed that nothing had changed, Giles Bristow from Surfers against Sewage said. “The picture is just as bleak. Despite commitments to investment over the past five years, our water is no cleaner.” The increase in the hours of raw sewage dumped into waterways comes as water companies are increasing bills by an average of £123 to pay for replacement and upgrading of ageing infrastructure, in the biggest hit to customers’ pockets since the industry was privatised 36 years ago.
The 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.”
EDIT
Storm overflows, which release raw sewage from treatment plants and elsewhere along the system, were designed to be used only in extraordinary circumstances to relieve pressure in the system. But a combination of a lack of investment by water firms and higher rainfall caused by the climate crisis, mean these overflows are being routinely used across the industry. The data released by the EA shows stop-start times for raw sewage discharges monitored by event duration monitors on 14,285 storm overflows.
EDIT
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/27/raw-sewage-hours-dumped-water-companies-england-last-year-data
= new reply since forum marked as read
