Water firms accused of ignoring rules by releasing sewage even on dry days

Water companies have been releasing sewage on to beaches and into rivers even when it is not raining, according to a report by Surfers Against Sewage.

- Helena Horton

Sewage spills are only supposed to happen under exceptional circumstances, when it is raining so heavily that the system cannot cope with the amount of water and effluent being spewed at once. However, there have been anecdotal accounts of sewage outflows spilling human waste into waterways even when it is not raining.

Now, SAS claims that these dry spills” are happening routinely, against regulations that say outflows should only occur during unusually heavy rainfall”.

Analysing meteorological data from the Met Office as well as spillage data, SAS found 146 dry spills were detected over a 12-month period, with 95 at locations where water quality is classified as excellent”. Southern Water, the worst offender, was responsible for four times as many dry spills as the next worst offender, South West Water.