An investigation by i suggests that over 5,500 sewage spills in England last year may have been illegal as they took place without permission from the Environment Agency (EA), including at spots along iconic rivers like the Wye and Avon.

Water companies released untreated waste into waterways 464,056 times in 2023, official statistics show. These spills should only happen during periods of extreme rainfall if there is a risk of pipes overflowing and sewage backing up into people’s homes.

But the investigation reveals at least 5,591 of these sewage spills may have been illegal, as they occurred at locations where they are not permitted by the regulator.

The water industry said firms were engaging with the EA to obtain permits for all sites where sewage spills had occurred and said applications had been submitted for roughly three quarters of the locations in question.

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