Sewage Spills Exceed 1.87 Million Hours in 2025 as Drier Weather Cuts 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 in 2025. This marks a substantial reduction from the previous year, but campaigners warn that the problem remains severe, with hundreds of thousands of hours of illegal discharges occurring on dry days.
Sharp Decline in Spill Incidents
The data shows there were 291,492 sewage spill incidents from storm overflows in 2025, down by more than a third (35%) from 450,398 events in 2024. Total spill duration nearly halved, dropping from 3.61 million hours in 2024 to 1.87 million hours in 2025. On average, each overflow outlet experienced 20.5 spills, compared to 31.8 in the previous year.
The Environment Agency attributed much of this improvement to unusually dry conditions in 2025, which saw large parts of England grappling with drought for much of the year. In contrast, 2024 was exceptionally wet, leading to higher spill rates. Some water companies reported reductions of more than 60% to 70% in the number of spills compared to 2024.
Government and Industry Response
Water Minister Emma Hardy acknowledged the decrease but emphasized that "there is still an unacceptable amount of sewage entering our waterways." She highlighted government actions, including ringfenced record investment, legislation to hold water companies accountable, the introduction of a single regulator, MOT-style checks on company assets, and no-notice inspections.
A spokesperson for Water UK, the industry body, noted that while drier weather played a role, a tripling of water company investment is beginning to show effects. "By building bigger storm tanks and expanding capacity at sewage treatment works, we will halve spills over the next five years," the spokesperson stated.
Campaigners Raise Alarm Over Dry-Day Discharges
Despite the overall reduction, environmental groups have accused water companies of discharging sewage illegally on dry days. Surfers Against Sewage reported that over 187,000 hours of spills occurred on dry days in 2025, affecting 105 bathing waters. The group also warned that sewage alerts in 2026 have more than doubled compared to the same period last year.
Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, said, "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."
Calls for Systemic Change
Richard Benwell, chief executive of the Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition, called for a "system-wide transformation" to address the issue. "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," he said.
Alan Lovell, chairman of the Environment Agency, stressed the need for sustained improvements. "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," he said.
The ongoing sewage scandal highlights the urgent need for continued investment and regulatory oversight to protect England's waterways from pollution.
