Most sewage spills in England may be illegal, new research suggests
New research suggests that over 80% of sewage spills in England may be illegal because they occurred during 'normal' weather conditions. Campaigners argue that water companies have been routinely violating regulations due to a lack of clear definitions from the Environment Agency.
Why it matters
This highlights a significant regulatory failure regarding environmental protection and public health in UK waterways.
Image source, Getty Images By Jonah Fisher Environment correspondent Published 13 minutes ago Most of the sewage spills into England's waterways in the last two years may have been illegal but gone unpunished, according to new analysis.
UK law states that raw sewage should not be released during "normal" weather conditions, yet until now the regulator has not clarified exactly what that means.
But campaigner Prof Peter Hammond obtained a definition in secret court papers, and said it shows that for more than 80% of the time sewage was being spilled, the weather was "normal" - making the spills possibly illegal.
The water companies and the regulator, the Environment Agency (EA), rejected the analysis and said they were working to reduce spill numbers.
Failing water sector needs stronger regulation, says damning review
Published 3 June 2025 Record number of illegal sewage spills in Windermere last year
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