There has been expected coverage by the BBC on their investigation into England’s water companies discharging sewage when the weather is dry. The investigation suggests 6000 possibly illegal spills occurred during 2022.
The coverage notes that three water companies shared their data on storm overflow use with the BBC upon request. Six companies refused to share their data citing reasons including the fact that there are ongoing legal proceedings. The BBC reports that the Environment Agency ‘stepped in’ and handed the requested data to them. This data directly informed the BBC’s investigation.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said:
We welcome the focus on this critical issue.100% of storm overflows are now monitored which helps us to ensure water companies are operating within their permits.
We’re increasing our water company inspections fourfold this year, with up to 500 additional staff and making better use of data and intelligence to inform our work and hold water companies to account.
We will always pursue and prosecute companies that are deliberately obstructive or misleading, and take action if they are found to have breached the conditions of their permits.
5 comments
Comment by Derek Stewart Smith posted on
Are the so called overflows actually the pumping of the whole contents of the storm overflow chambers, thereby saving money having to treat a major portion of the sewage?
Comment by Michael Hughes posted on
Privatisation put profit before performance. An exploding population and a volatile climate put new demands on an industry needing greater long-term investment. Instead billions disappeared into the pockets of foreign investors and an understaffed environment agency looked on, it's assessment of compliance favouring the polluters. Result: a shameful failure that will take decades to resolve.
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Comment by Anthony Johnson posted on
Why did the EA not follow up these spillages? Do they just go along with the water companies?
Comment by John w. Baxter posted on
Read the policy paper The Roadmap for the DEFRA Earth Observation Centre of Excellence 2023 to 2028 and you may then begin to realise how backward we are and set in our ways……we would rather boast 500 new samplers on the EA payroll when satellites could be more effective and efficient at alerting us to polluting discharges to water courses…..after all, I can recall the EA handing waste water treatment works discharge sampling back to the trustworthy water companies!.
Self governance I think it is conveniently called.
The under capacity of waste water treatment volumes is a result of underinvestment in waste water treatment capacity alleviated by discharging untreated waste water to watercourses swollen with flood water at times of high flow, thus allowing for the solution to the pollution being dilution…..but in dry times when watercourse flows are low and combined sewer outflows are active it is obviously due to operational problems that discharges to watercourses occur…..only there is no large flow in the watercourse to dilute the polluting waste water……the recent discharge to the lakes by the water company involved shows the inadequacy on all parts of the inadequate system we have been duped into believing is cutting edge, with all the investment recently made…..you be the judge!.
Comment by Julie Houldershaw posted on
One thing that people do not realise, is that’s it up to the water companies whether they apply for permits for their storm overflows. How many are there really of these storm overflows. Non permitted storm overflows as I understand it from the EA should be included in spill data. However how can you audit storm overflows when you do not know about all the storm overflows. Legislation should be brought in, that all storm overflows are permitted, to allow members of the public to see where all storm overflows are.