Ed Lynch
2024-04-02 21:17:44 UTC
There were 31,373 sewage spills over the course of the year, lasting a
total of 228,098 hours, according to the Department for Environment, Food,
and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)'s 'event monitoring - storm overflows' figures.
This was an 80% increase from 2022, when there were spills lasting 125,808
hours.
Analysis of the data, carried out by the Liberal Democrats, also shows the
worst offending bathing sites in England - which are supposed to be
unpolluted enough to swim in safely.
The party described it as "environmental vandalism" and warned families
travelling to water spots over the Easter weekend would be "horrified".
Read more
Why is sewage pumped into our rivers?
Allonby in Cumbria was the worst hit by sewage - with 4,500 hours of
spillages last year.
This was followed by Haverigg, also in Cumbria and managed by United
Utilities, which suffered 3,500 hours of spillages.
Middleton-on-sea in West Sussex had 3,500 hours of spillages last year,
according to the data.
United Utilities, which supplies the north west of England, was the worst
offending company overall - reportedly responsible for 10,467 sewage
spills in 2023.
It was followed by South West Water, which registered 8,500 spills, and
then Southern, Wessex, and Thames Water, which all had the equivalent of
11,000 hours of spills.
The report comes after concerning levels of E. coli were found in the
River Thames, which played host to the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race on
Saturday.
One member of the Oxford team said several of his teammates suffered
diarrhoea and vomiting ahead of the race.
Fullscreen button
The Boat Race on the Thames on Saturday. Pic: PA
The Boat Race on the Thames on Saturday. Pic: PA
© PA
The athletes were instructed not to swallow any water where possible and
were not allowed to throw the winning cox overboard - as is tradition.
'Putting lives at risk'
Charles Watson, founder and chair of River Action UK, which compiled the
data on E. coli in the Thames, told Sky News: "It is putting people's
lives at risk. Since the work we did around the Boat Race, we are getting
dozens of messages, mainly from parents about how kids have got really,
really ill, with serious diarrhoea and vomiting."
Fullscreen button
E. Coli found in samples from River Thames. Pic: River Action UK
E. Coli found in samples from River Thames. Pic: River Action UK
© PA
Sewage ends up in bathing water when the system overflows due to rain and
stormwater.
England's sewage system is made up of pipes that carry rainwater and
wastewater from people's toilets, bathrooms and kitchens all in the same
pipes.
If there's a lot of rain, there is a risk of the pipes becoming
overwhelmed and sewage backing up into people's houses.
Recommended video: Pacific Beach reopens after sewage spill (KSWB-TV San
Diego)
Current Time 0:27
/
Duration 0:27
0
View on Watch
View on Watch
To lower that risk, instead of all the raw sewage ending up at the water
treatment plant, some of it is pumped through storm overflows and into the
sea or rivers.
The Lib Dems' environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said: "Water
companies must be laughing at us. These supposedly protected sites are
nothing of the sort. Instead, this Conservative government has declared it
open season for polluting firms to dump their filth into them.
"This national scandal cannot be allowed to continue for a moment longer."
The party is calling on the government's Scientific Advisory Group on
Emergencies (SAGE) to carry out an urgent investigation.
A UK government spokesperson said water companies are subject to
"stringent targets" on sewage.
"We have been clear the volume of sewage discharged into our waters is
completely unacceptable and water companies need to clean up their act
fast," they said.
"We are already taking tough action to hold them to account, including
demanding record levels of fast-tracked investment, ensuring a 100%
monitoring of storm overflows, a quadrupling of water company inspections
and we are currently consulting on a ban on water bosses' bonuses, when
criminal breaches have occurred."
Mark Garth, wastewater services director at United Utilities, said last
year was "one of the wettest years on record in the North West".
''Whilst the current system is designed to activate during rainfall I
understand and share people's concerns and the need for change and that's
why we are proposing a £3bn programme to tackle storm overflows in the
North West between 2025 and 2030."
He says re-plumbing the region will "take time" but data shows work is
already "moving in the right direction".
John Penicud, director for wastewater operations at Southern Water, said:
"Slashing the number of storm releases is top priority for us - and our
customers.
"The past 18 months have been the rainiest since records began. The ground
is utterly waterlogged in many areas, inundating our sewers and customers'
drains and sewers.
"We're extensively relining sewers, to keep sewage in and rainwater out,
and our storm release reduction pilot schemes have already proved that
nature-based systems can have a real impact."
Sky News has contacted South West, Wessex, and Thames Water for comment.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/sewage-was-spilled-into-rivers-and-
sea-safe-for-bathing-86-times-a-day-last-year/ar-BB1kSz3B
total of 228,098 hours, according to the Department for Environment, Food,
and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)'s 'event monitoring - storm overflows' figures.
This was an 80% increase from 2022, when there were spills lasting 125,808
hours.
Analysis of the data, carried out by the Liberal Democrats, also shows the
worst offending bathing sites in England - which are supposed to be
unpolluted enough to swim in safely.
The party described it as "environmental vandalism" and warned families
travelling to water spots over the Easter weekend would be "horrified".
Read more
Why is sewage pumped into our rivers?
Allonby in Cumbria was the worst hit by sewage - with 4,500 hours of
spillages last year.
This was followed by Haverigg, also in Cumbria and managed by United
Utilities, which suffered 3,500 hours of spillages.
Middleton-on-sea in West Sussex had 3,500 hours of spillages last year,
according to the data.
United Utilities, which supplies the north west of England, was the worst
offending company overall - reportedly responsible for 10,467 sewage
spills in 2023.
It was followed by South West Water, which registered 8,500 spills, and
then Southern, Wessex, and Thames Water, which all had the equivalent of
11,000 hours of spills.
The report comes after concerning levels of E. coli were found in the
River Thames, which played host to the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race on
Saturday.
One member of the Oxford team said several of his teammates suffered
diarrhoea and vomiting ahead of the race.
Fullscreen button
The Boat Race on the Thames on Saturday. Pic: PA
The Boat Race on the Thames on Saturday. Pic: PA
© PA
The athletes were instructed not to swallow any water where possible and
were not allowed to throw the winning cox overboard - as is tradition.
'Putting lives at risk'
Charles Watson, founder and chair of River Action UK, which compiled the
data on E. coli in the Thames, told Sky News: "It is putting people's
lives at risk. Since the work we did around the Boat Race, we are getting
dozens of messages, mainly from parents about how kids have got really,
really ill, with serious diarrhoea and vomiting."
Fullscreen button
E. Coli found in samples from River Thames. Pic: River Action UK
E. Coli found in samples from River Thames. Pic: River Action UK
© PA
Sewage ends up in bathing water when the system overflows due to rain and
stormwater.
England's sewage system is made up of pipes that carry rainwater and
wastewater from people's toilets, bathrooms and kitchens all in the same
pipes.
If there's a lot of rain, there is a risk of the pipes becoming
overwhelmed and sewage backing up into people's houses.
Recommended video: Pacific Beach reopens after sewage spill (KSWB-TV San
Diego)
Current Time 0:27
/
Duration 0:27
0
View on Watch
View on Watch
To lower that risk, instead of all the raw sewage ending up at the water
treatment plant, some of it is pumped through storm overflows and into the
sea or rivers.
The Lib Dems' environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said: "Water
companies must be laughing at us. These supposedly protected sites are
nothing of the sort. Instead, this Conservative government has declared it
open season for polluting firms to dump their filth into them.
"This national scandal cannot be allowed to continue for a moment longer."
The party is calling on the government's Scientific Advisory Group on
Emergencies (SAGE) to carry out an urgent investigation.
A UK government spokesperson said water companies are subject to
"stringent targets" on sewage.
"We have been clear the volume of sewage discharged into our waters is
completely unacceptable and water companies need to clean up their act
fast," they said.
"We are already taking tough action to hold them to account, including
demanding record levels of fast-tracked investment, ensuring a 100%
monitoring of storm overflows, a quadrupling of water company inspections
and we are currently consulting on a ban on water bosses' bonuses, when
criminal breaches have occurred."
Mark Garth, wastewater services director at United Utilities, said last
year was "one of the wettest years on record in the North West".
''Whilst the current system is designed to activate during rainfall I
understand and share people's concerns and the need for change and that's
why we are proposing a £3bn programme to tackle storm overflows in the
North West between 2025 and 2030."
He says re-plumbing the region will "take time" but data shows work is
already "moving in the right direction".
John Penicud, director for wastewater operations at Southern Water, said:
"Slashing the number of storm releases is top priority for us - and our
customers.
"The past 18 months have been the rainiest since records began. The ground
is utterly waterlogged in many areas, inundating our sewers and customers'
drains and sewers.
"We're extensively relining sewers, to keep sewage in and rainwater out,
and our storm release reduction pilot schemes have already proved that
nature-based systems can have a real impact."
Sky News has contacted South West, Wessex, and Thames Water for comment.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/sewage-was-spilled-into-rivers-and-
sea-safe-for-bathing-86-times-a-day-last-year/ar-BB1kSz3B