Sewage spills plunge to record low after dry weather in 2025 | Politics | News
Sewage pollution notice on a Kent beach (Image: Getty)
The number of times raw sewage was spilled into Englandโs rivers and seas last year fell to a record low because of dry weather, it has been announced.
Raw sewage was discharged for about 1.9 million hours in 2025, down by 48% on the year before. The Environment Agency said there were 291,492 spill events in 2025, a 35% reduction from 2024โs 450,000 releases.
Total spill duration fell by almost half, with some water companies seeing reductions of between 40% and 70% compared to 2024. These discharges are significantly impacted by the weather because rainfall and sewage are carried in the same pipes.
James Wallace, chief executive of clean river campaign group River Action, said: โTodayโs event duration monitoring (EDM) data shows where sewage is being discharged, but it doesnโt stop it. We cannot mistake monitoring for progress. After one of the driest summers in decades, lower spill numbers were inevitable, not evidence of real change.
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โWater companies are still profiting from pollution, and regulators have failed to act. This is a critical year for our rivers, coasts and wetlands. The imminent Water Reform Bill is a once in a generation opportunity to reset the water industry.
โTinkering around the edges of regulation wonโt fix a corrupted system. The Government must take back control of water company ownership and investment, and ensure bill payersโ money cleans up rivers not lines investor pockets.โ
Meanwhile there were over 14,700 dry day spills in 2025, some of which could be illegal sewage discharges occurring without significant rain.
Last year, the UK had its driest spring since 1974 and many regions of England experienced long-lasting drought.
The drop in sewage spills will lead to debate about how much of the reduction in spills is attributable to investments by the water companies, and how much was because of the weather.
Giles Bristow, Surfers Against Sewage chief executive, said: โDonโt be fooled by the water company spin. They dumped sewage illegally for hundreds of thousands of hours on dry days, made scores of people sick, and polluted our so-called protected bathing sites. And just three months into 2026 their level of sewage dumping already dwarfs last year. This dirty business hasnโt changed a bit. The sewage scandal rages on.
โBut itโs not about the figures. Itโs about the scores of swimmers, surfers and children that continue to risk their health because water companies and the government choose profits over people.”
Alan Lovell, chair of the Environment Agency, said: โPublishing this data each year ensures the public can see clearly what is happening across Englandโs storm overflows.
โWhile these numbers are heavily influenced by rainfall levels in 2025, substantial reductions in spill duration and events are a clear win for people and the environment.โ
A Water UK spokesman said: โSewage spills are awful and we are working to end them as fast as we physically can.
โWhile the dry weather in 2025 will have led to fewer spills, we are also starting to see the effect of a tripling of water company investment.
โBy building bigger storm tanks and expanding capacity at sewage treatment works, we will halve spills over the next five years.โ
