Home / Environment / Water Firms Hid 50,000+ Sewage Discharges
Water Firms Hid 50,000+ Sewage Discharges
8 Oct
Summary
- All nine English water companies failed to report over 50,000 sewage discharges promptly.
- Over 4,000 unreported sewage dumps affected designated bathing waters.
- Victims reported severe illnesses, including E. coli, after water exposure.
All nine water companies operating in England have failed to report over 50,000 sewage discharges within the legally mandated hour during the first six months of this year. This widespread non-compliance with reporting regulations has led to significant delays in public notification about potential water contamination.
The issue is particularly concerning as more than 4,000 of these delayed reports involved designated bathing waters. Freedom of information requests also revealed that at least 70,400 hours of sewage were discharged on dry days, a clear violation of regulations allowing such discharges only during heavy rainfall.
Campaigners like Surfers Against Sewage highlight that these failures pose a direct threat to public health. Last year, the charity received 1,568 sickness reports, with cases of severe infections such as E. coli and campylobacter leading to hospitalizations. This year, 1,687 people have already reported falling ill after using rivers, lakes, and beaches across the UK.
