Sewage Spills Exceed 1.87 Million Hours in 2025 as Drier Weather Reduces Pollution
New figures from the Environment Agency have revealed that sewage spilled into England's rivers, lakes, and seas for more than 1.87 million hours during 2025. This marks a substantial decrease from the previous year, but environmental groups and officials warn that the situation remains deeply concerning.
The data shows there were 291,492 incidents where untreated sewage was released from storm overflows across England. These overflows are designed to operate only in "exceptional circumstances" to prevent sewer systems from becoming overwhelmed during heavy rainfall and backing up into homes.
Significant Reduction from Previous Year
In the second year of comprehensive monitoring of the sewage network, spill incidents dropped by more than a third (35%) compared to 2024's 450,398 pollution events. The total duration of sewage releases nearly halved, falling from 3.61 million hours in 2024 to 1.87 million hours in 2025.
The Environment Agency attributed much of this improvement to unusually dry conditions throughout 2025, which saw swathes of England battling drought for much of the year. This contrasted sharply with the very wet weather patterns experienced in 2024.
Water Minister Expresses Concern
Water Minister Emma Hardy acknowledged the reduction but emphasized that "there is still an unacceptable amount of sewage entering our waterways." She pointed to government actions including ringfencing record investment, implementing legislation to hold water companies accountable, establishing a single regulator for the industry, introducing MOT-style checks on company assets, and conducting no-notice inspections.
Industry Response and Campaigner Criticism
A spokesperson for Water UK, the industry body representing water companies, acknowledged the role of drier weather in reducing spills but noted that "a tripling of water company investment was also starting to have an effect." The spokesperson added that by building larger storm tanks and expanding capacity at sewage treatment works, the industry aims to halve spills over the next five years.
However, campaigners have accused water companies of discharging sewage illegally for thousands of hours on "dry days" in 2025. Environmental groups have warned that "any sewage in our waters is too much" and that the system remains fundamentally broken.
Detailed Analysis of the Data
The Environment Agency figures show some water companies achieved reductions of more than 60% and 70% in the number of spills compared to 2024. The data also reveals there was an average of 20.5 spills per overflow outlet, down from 31.8 spills in the previous year.
Alan Lovell, Chairman of the Environment Agency, commented: "While 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. It is vital that improvements to the sewage system are sustained over the long term and the Environment Agency will continue to hold water companies to account where performance falls short."
Campaigner Warnings and Analysis
Surfers Against Sewage conducted its own analysis of data from the national storm overflow hub, finding more than 187,000 hours of spills on "dry days" when overflows should not be discharging. These incidents affected 105 bathing waters in 2025.
The organization also warned that it had issued 3,899 sewage alerts on its Safer Seas and Rivers Service app so far in 2026, more than double the number of alerts for the same period last year.
Giles Bristow, Chief Executive of Surfers Against Sewage, stated: "Don't 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 hasn't changed a bit. The sewage scandal rages on."
Calls for Systemic Change
Richard Benwell, Chief Executive of the Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition of environment and countryside groups, emphasized: "When sewage is pouring out even in a dry year, you really know the system is broken. These aren't stormwater overflows; they're all-weather wastepipes. Rivers, lakes and seas should not be pressure valves for pollution. Any sewage in our waters is too much."
He called for a "system-wide transformation" with a new Water Bill that would stop pollution at source, fix the broken system, and restore natural habitats.
The ongoing debate highlights the tension between acknowledging progress in reducing sewage spills while recognizing the continued severity of the problem. With environmental groups documenting increased alerts in early 2026, the pressure on water companies and regulators to deliver lasting solutions continues to intensify.
