Water companies are being allowed to dump sewage into England’s protected natural areas, including national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, from nearly 900 different locations, most of which are not being monitored by the Environment Agency (EA), i can reveal.
A joint investigation by i and SourceMaterial, a non-profit investigative journalism organisation, has uncovered the location of almost 7,000 ‘emergency overflow’ points across England.
It found that 890 of these pipes, which are different from the storm overflows water companies use during bad weather, are located in protected areas, including national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, like the Lake District and the New Forest.
Water companies are only allowed to spill untreated waste from emergency overflows when they experience a failure in their infrastructure, such as a blockage or mechanical breakdown.
But information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed that some of these pipes are discharging sewage more than once per week on average.
The EA has no idea how much waste is being dumped from the majority of these sites, as unlike storm overflows they are not being monitored.
Experts told i these emergency overflows are a “further example” of the challenges facing Britain’s lakes and rivers and said better monitoring was “urgently” needed in order to reduce their impact on the environment.
Water companies have come under intense scrutiny for the amount of raw sewage that is being discharged into Britain’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters.
So far public anger has largely been focused on the use of ‘storm overflows’, which water companies are permitted to discharge waste from during periods of intense rainfall to prevent their infrastructure becoming overwhelmed and sewage backing up into people’s homes.
The Government has forced water companies to provide more data about the amount of sewage being dumped out of these storm overflows. All of these locations are now fitted with monitoring devices, compared to just seven per cent in 2010.
This monitoring has revealed the extent to which Britain’s waterways are being polluted with sewage, with water companies reporting 301,091 individual spills in 2022.
But much less is known about how much waste is being released from emergency overflows as the EA currently only requires water companies to report sewage spills from these pipes if they discharge into designated shellfish water.
It’s understood that the EA plans to introduce a phased implementation of monitoring on all permitted emergency overflows from 2025.
Data obtained by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), which has been seen by i, found just 10 per cent of these overflows are currently monitored.
Sewage was dumped from more than a third of these emergency overflows in 2022 and 60 per cent of those released sewage more than once, the data revealed.
Because of the limited monitoring, data is only available for 161 of the 890 emergency overflows that our investigation has identified as being in protected areas. More than a third of these spilled sewage in 2022, a total of 265 spills.
“We know that many emergency overflows are repeatedly discharging raw, undiluted sewage; this is despite permits from the Environment Agency requiring water companies to have multiple measures in place to prevent this happening,” said Dr Laura Foster Head of Clean Seas at MCS.
“Water companies are failing to deliver for our environment, with raw sewage polluting some of our most valued natural spaces,” she said, adding that regulators must have “capacity” to prosecute those who fail to comply with their permits.
James Wallace, CEO of campaign group River Action UK, said: “Defra likes to claim that most or all sewage overflows are monitored. As with many statements from our failing and under resourced environmental regulators, this is a long way from the truth. They seem preoccupied with spinning greenwash laced with poisonous effluent to protect an outgoing Government rather than protecting the health of our rivers and communities.”
The emergency overflows polluting our ‘most precious’ landscapes
While little is known about how much sewage is being dumped through emergency overflows, the data that we do have shows some pipes are discharging at a frequent rate, including those within conservation sites.
This includes one pipe located under a bridge that runs across the Dean Brook, a tributary to the River Ribble, which sits within the Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Lancashire.
The stream marks the start of the Tolkien Trail, named after The Lord of the Rings author who spent a lot of time in the area while writing his fantasy epic.
But those wishing to follow in the author’s footsteps today may encounter a less idyllic scene, as waste was dumped from the overflow at this site 83 times in 2022, almost twice a week on average, amounting to a total of 1,341 hours in which sewage was being discharged.
Jack Spees, CEO of the Ribble Rivers Trust, said he was “really concerned” about the data.
“We’d like to understand why and make sure that the data is right and, if it is right, that [water company United Utilities] is doing something about it.
“Our rivers and streams are full of vibrant life that has a right to exist and not be poisoned by humans. They’re really important places for people to recreate. People will visit streams that are healthier,” he said.
Around 80 miles north, in the Lake District National Park, sits another emergency overflow that spilled 34 times in 2022, amounting to a total 660.5 hours.
The pipe, at Pooley Bridge on the northern banks of Lake Ullswater, also sits within a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Matt Staniek, a conservationist and founder of the Save Windermere campaign, said the “shocking absence of complete overflow monitoring reflects the Government’s lackadaisical approach to regulating the private, profit focussed water industry despite their history of illegal spilling”.
“More shocking, is that our most precious landscapes are not immune, with sewage dumping widespread across the Lake District National Park, including in Windermere and at Pooley Bridge in the Eden catchment SSSI,” he added.
United Utilities, which owns both emergency overflows, did not respond to request for comment.
In a separate Freedom of Information request, shared with i, South West Water admitted it was “not always the case” that there had been an emergency when it had utilised its emergency overflows.
The water firm said it had identified “properties where the roofs of buildings connect to the sewer, creating high flows at downstream pumping stations”, meaning that storms could cause spills at certain emergency overflows.
The company said that it plans to re-engineer the sewers at these locations or obtain the appropriate permits from the Environment Agency.
The data obtained by i on the emergency overflow pipes only covers England, but in response to a freedom of information request, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water confirmed it had to report 24 pollution incidents to its regulator, Natural Resources Wales, as a result of emergency overflows in 2022.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water told i emergency overflows “play an essential role in preventing sewage from backing up into the network and customers’ properties in the event of a failure at a pumping station”.
Natural Resources Wales said 110 (14 per cent) of Welsh Water’s emergency overflows are currently monitored, however there is currently no regulatory requirement to monitor these pipes and most of these monitors were installed on the “presumption” that the pipes were storm overflows.
It said it will require both water companies in Wales, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy, to install monitors on all its emergency overflows during the next investment period, which runs from 2025-30, as well as requiring them to “hold the appropriate certification”.
i’s Save Britain’s Rivers Campaign
For the past year i has been highlighting the disgusting state of Britain’s rivers, lakes and beaches through our Save Britain’s Rivers campaign.
In collaboration with our sister title, New Scientist, we have shown how water companies are dumping waste into our most precious bodies of water, and how a lax regulatory system is allowing them to get away with it.
We’ve revealed how one water company drove 240 truckloads of untreated waste to an overflowing pumping station in a popular Devon seaside town, and took a deep dive into the issue of sewage tankers, which are blighting Britain’s most idyllic villages and national parks.
We’ve held the Environment Agency to account for its failures to penalise those who break the rules, revealing last year that the watchdog is failing to visit 90 per cent of toxic water spills in England.
Our reporters have travelled to the parts of the country most affected by this scandal to meet those who are taking a stand against water companies and their regulators.
Together with these passionate campaigners we will bring about the policy changes required to restore Britain’s rivers to their once pristine state.
Dr Ben Surridge, senior lecturer in environmental science at the University of Lancaster, said emergency overflows are a “further example of the pressures our freshwaters are facing”.
“We urgently need better data and understanding of the actual impact of these emergency overflows on freshwaters. This will provide the basis for appropriate policy, regulation and enforcement to minimise any negative impacts associated with these overflows,” he said.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Emergency overflows are only permitted to operate in urgent circumstances to prevent environmental damage or harm to the public, such as electrical power failure or mains burst.
“We are taking action to introduce monitoring on all emergency overflows and already require water companies to monitor emergency overflows associated with designated shellfish waters. We investigate any instances where permits are not being followed and will always take enforcement action if necessary.”