09 Jun 2026
Photo by Lison Zhao The Environment Agency issued pollution alerts at four Isle of Wight beaches following a sewage release by Southern Water, with bathers warned to stay out of the water at Totland Bay and Colwell Bay on the island’s west coast. Similar warnings were also in place at Gurnard Bay and Ryde. Southern Water attributed […]
04 Jun 2026
Image description: The pull handle on a lavatory. Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay A hidden enforcement gap Misconnected household pipes, washing machines, dishwashers, sinks or toilets accidentally plumbed into surface water drains rather than the foul sewer, let untreated wastewater flow directly into rivers, streams and the sea. Although discharging foul water into a surface water […]
21 May 2026
Image description: Someone cleaning their hands using a wet wipe, with rolling fields in the background. Image by Ekaterina Ershova from Pixabay. A landmark ban is approaching – but many don’t know it With England’s ban on plastic-containing wet wipes due to come into force on 19 May 2027, the water sector is stepping up calls for […]
14 May 2026
Image description: Close-up of wastewater treatment. Image credit: Pixabay. A significant local commitment Southern Water has announced a £42m programme of infrastructure works targeting sewage spills, storm overflows and pollution incidents across Folkestone and Hythe in Kent. The investment, unveiled at a public event in Folkestone this past week, will focus on wastewater treatment […]
14 May 2026
Image description: Water droplet falling from a tap. Image credit, Pixabay. A sector losing the confidence of its customers Two reports published in the last week by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) together paint a troubling picture of a sector haemorrhaging public trust. The watchdog’s annual Water Matters survey, which has tracked […]
06 May 2026
Image description: Rows of bottled water. Photo by Jonathan Chng on Unsplash Chair steps down following parliamentary report highlighting poor leadership The chair of South East Water (SEW), Chris Train, has resigned following the publication of a highly critical report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee, which accused the company of […]
06 May 2026
Image description: an underwater seagrass meadow. A warning from “underwater forests” New research has found that sewage and agricultural pollution in rivers is having an “alarming” impact on marine invertebrate life in Britain’s seagrass meadows. The study, carried out by Project Seagrass and Swansea University, examined 16 sites along the British coastline affected to […]
06 May 2026
Image description: Aerial view of a port in Gibraltar. Photo by Michal Mrozek on Unsplash In an exclusive report, the Guardian reveals that Gibraltar, a British overseas territory, has never operated a wastewater treatment plant, meaning raw sewage from nearly 40,000 people and businesses has been discharged untreated into the Mediterranean Sea for decades. Untreated […]
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