General · 31 March 2026
England's water firms spilled sewage 291,492 times last year.
England's rivers, lakes, and seas faced extensive pollution from nearly 300,000 sewage spills in 2025. Water companies discharged untreated sewage from storm overflows 291,492 times last year, as reported by the Environment Agency. These incidents, which should only occur in exceptional circumstances, totalled over 1.87 million hours of releases, a significant drop from 2024.
Reported by Independent · How we write briefs