From the Guardian

Water companies discharged raw sewage into English rivers 372,533 times last year, a slight reduction on the previous year.

The water companies covering England released untreated sewage for a combined total of more than 2.7m hours; compared with 3.1m hours in 2020, according to data released by the Environment Agency (EA) on Thursday.

The data was published as the government announced what it said was the largest overhaul of the sewer system since the 1990s to tackle the problem of discharges.

News story from the Environment Agency

Improved monitoring of sewage spills to drive enhanced environmental protection and enforcement.

Almost nine in ten storm overflows now have monitoring devices providing vital information about their use to hold water companies to account and drive environmental protections, data published today (31 March) shows.

The data is published on the same day that the government has launched new targets to deliver the largest programme to tackle storm sewage discharges in history, with a consultation now live.

Under the proposals put forward in the consultation:

  • By 2035, the environmental impacts of 3,000 storm overflows (75%) affecting our most important protected sites will have been eliminated;
  • By 2035, there will be 70% fewer discharges into bathing waters;
  • By 2040, approximately 160,000 discharges, on average, will have been eliminated (40% of the total); and by 2050, approximately 320,000 discharges, on average, will have been eliminated (80% of the total);
  • Water companies will be encouraged to accelerate these timelines wherever possible while preventing unnecessary costs for consumers.

Some 12,400 monitors (86%) have returned data for the 2021 Event Duration Monitoring release published by the Environment Agency. This is up from 8,276 in 2019 and follows Environment Agency action to ensure water companies install monitors on the vast majority of storm overflows by the end of 2020.

All storm overflows will have monitors by the end of 2023, supporting the Environment Agency and Ofwat in holding water companies to account.

The 2021 data also shows:

  • The average number of spills per storm overflow was 29 times in 2021, compared to 33 times in 2020;
  • 5% of storm overflows recorded spills of 100 times or more in 2021; and
  • 13% of storm overflows did not spill in 2021.

The EA has also driven significant improvements to expand the level of detail provided in this year’s publication to make it more consistent and accessible. The data now includes grid references for each overflow and enables water companies to explain the primary reason for frequent spills and what they plan to do to resolve these.

Read more here.

But no room for complacency, says this EA blog.

Meanwhile, the Lib Dems have put sewage at heart of campaign as party eyes ‘blue wall’ seats.

The party hopes to win over Tory voters at the local elections disgusted with inaction over sewage dumping in rivers.

Read more here.

New bathing water status in the Isle of Wight and Oxford

Part of the Wolvercote Mill Stream at Port Meadow, Oxford, and the East Cowes Esplanade on the Isle of Wight will be added to the list of bathing waters. Reduction in storm overflows will play a big part.

Read the Defra press release here

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