31 May 2023

According to exclusive research published in the Guardian, eleven billion litres of raw sewage were discharged from a sample of 30 water company treatment works in one year. The study aimed to reveal the volume of discharged effluent released from storm overflows by water firms. Companies are not forced to reveal the volume of raw […]

30 May 2023

“Very high” levels of E coli found in oysters and mussels have led to the closure of 11 shellfish production zones in Cornwall. In an email seen by the Guardian and Watershed Investigations, the Cornwall Port Health Authority (CPHA) told food business operators they “must not collect the affected animals from this area by any […]

24 May 2023

As reported in last week’s news, Water UK has apologised on behalf of English water companies for sewage in rivers and announced a plan to: Triple investment to £10bn in the next five year period (subject to regulatory approval) to cut sewage overflows by up to 140,000 each year compared to the level in 2020. […]

18 May 2023

Industry body Water UK has apologised on behalf of water and sewage companies in England for not acting quickly enough on sewage spills. To put things right, the industry plans to make the largest ever investment in storm overflows as part of a major programme to reduce spills into rivers and seas. In addition, a […]

10 May 2023

At last, England’s dying rivers are an election issue – and the danger isn’t just sewage | George Monbiot | The Guardian Voters are finally furious about water pollution, but tackling it means unpicking a complex web of assaults from source to sea I can’t help feeling a small surge of gratitude every time an […]

09 May 2023

The UK government is planning to consult on expanding its targets to tackle sewage even further to cover all coasts, estuaries and marine protected sites, Defra has confirmed. The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, published in August 2022, set out stringent targets to protect people and the environment, backed up by £56 billion capital investment – […]

02 May 2023

Anglian Water pleaded guilty and was hit with a fine of £2.65m after allowing untreated sewage to overflow into the North Sea following a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency (EA). A catalogue of failures by the company to manage and monitor effluent at the Jaywick Water Recycling Centre in Essex led to sewage being […]