More than 3,000 ‘monster’ sewage dumps in England’s rivers and seas last year in ‘national scandal’

Lib Dems have urged ministers to “get a grip” as sewage spills from storm overflows are up 63% compared to 2021
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There were more than 3,000 “monster” sewage dumps into England’s rivers and seas last year, according to the Liberal Democrats.

The figure is up 63% compared to 2021 - a rise slammed by the party as a “national scandal”.

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The Lib Dem’s analysis of Environment Agency data found that 3,276 storm overflows were classed as having a “high spill frequency” in 2022, meaning they dump sewage so frequently into a single area that water firms are obliged to investigate the cause within three months.

It marked a steep increase from 2021 when there were 2,008 storm overflows. In total, 194,900 spills were counted from these overflows, lasting more than 1.36 million hours in total, the Lib Dems said.

The analysis found that United Utilities, the Lake District’s water company, and Devon and Cornwall’s South West Water were the worst offenders with almost 40% and 30% of their storm overflows, respectively, having a high spill frequency.

United Utilities’ Plumbland wastewater treatment works in Cumbria dumped sewage 339 times into the River Ellen for an alarming 6,896 hours last year.

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Meanwhile, Severn Trent Water spilled sewage into Whissendine Brook in Rutland from a wastewater treatment works 318 times for 6,646 hours.

Lib Dems have urged ministers to “get a grip” as sewage spills from storm overflows are up 63% compared to 2021. (Image by NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Adobe Stock) Lib Dems have urged ministers to “get a grip” as sewage spills from storm overflows are up 63% compared to 2021. (Image by NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Adobe Stock)
Lib Dems have urged ministers to “get a grip” as sewage spills from storm overflows are up 63% compared to 2021. (Image by NationalWorld/Kim Mogg/Adobe Stock)

‘The whole thing stinks’

The Liberal Democrats are calling for water companies to be forced to upgrade their infrastructure to fix the leakiest pipes and stop polluting waterways.

Lib Dem environment spokesperson Tim Farron said: “These monster sewage dumps cause devastation, flooding swimming spots with foul water and destroying animal habitats. The rise in these spills truly is a national scandal.

“Water company execs are raking in millions in bonuses whilst their pipes leak sewage into our lakes and rivers. The whole thing stinks.”

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Mr Farron said that polluting firms are obligated to investigate "yet still no action is taken" and there seems to be “no end in sight for the sewage scandal.”

He added: “You would think after a historic drought these figures would drop. Ministers need to get a grip of this.

“Their half-baked plans announced recently just let water companies get away with it. The public won’t stand for this any longer.”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has defended its action and said the figures do not align with its data.

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A Defra spokesperson said: “We do not recognise these figures. High-frequency spills are defined as those spilling in excess of 60 times per year – the numbers here do not align with the official data.

“This government is the first to take such comprehensive action on storm overflows – and our new Plan for Water sets out the increased investment, tougher enforcement and tighter regulation to tackle this issue.

The spokesperson added: “We have recently announced £1.6 billion in new, accelerated investment to tackle storm overflows, including £700 million from United Utilities to reduce spills by 7,800 annually.

“The Environment Secretary has demanded an action plan on every storm overflow from every company in England, prioritising those near bathing waters. We are also consulting to give regulators more powers to impose much larger penalties for polluters without needing to go to court.”

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