Analysis Says 86% of England Sewage Spill Hours May Be Illegal in Normal Weather
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 22
Analysis Says 86% of England Sewage Spill Hours May Be Illegal in Normal Weather
2 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 22
Summary
Prof Peter Hammond found about 86% of sewage spill hours at more than 350 English storm overflows over the past two years occurred without “heavy rain,” making them potentially illegal.
Secret court papers from a 2021 Southern Water case disclosed an Environment Agency definition of “heavy rain,” which Hammond used to test whether spills happened during weather the law would treat as normal.
The Environment Agency and Water UK rejected the analysis, saying the rainfall threshold was site-specific and enforcement depends on permit conditions and other factors; Hammond said regional adjustments barely changed the result.
The findings sharpen scrutiny of the regulator after the Office for Environmental Protection ruled in 2024 that the EA had been allowing discharges in normal weather rather than only in exceptional circumstances.
With 80% of sewage spills potentially illegal, are water company bosses facing any real consequences?
Regulators knew sewage spills were illegal. Why did they let companies pollute waterways for years?
Your water bill is rising to stop pollution, but is the investment actually fixing England's rivers?
300,000 Sewage Spills in 2025: England’s Waterways Face Ongoing Pollution and Accountability Crisis
Overview
Despite official claims of reduced storm overflow spills in England’s waterways in 2025, the report reveals that sewage pollution remains a serious problem. While the Water Minister highlighted fewer storm overflow incidents, she also admitted that an unacceptable amount of sewage still enters rivers, lakes, and seas. This reduction is overshadowed by the ongoing and illegal dry-day sewage spills, showing the system is fundamentally flawed. With nearly 300,000 sewage discharges and thousands of dry-day spills, the data points to a persistent crisis that threatens both the environment and public health, underscoring the urgent need for real solutions.