Most sewage spills in England may be illegal, new research suggests

A significant portion of sewage spills in England, potentially as high as 86%, may be illegal, according to new research. Professor Chris Hammond, a retired academic and campaigner, analyzed data from over 350 storm overflow outlets across all nine English water companies.

Hammond's analysis, based on a definition of "heavy rain" obtained from internal Environment Agency documents, found that most sewage discharges occurred when rainfall did not meet this threshold. This suggests that water companies might be exploiting weak regulations and that enforcement by the Environment Agency has been inadequate.

"It's totally outrageous, both from the point of the water companies who are exploiting the weak regulation but also from the Environment Agency's point of view, where they've not been doing their job properly," Professor Hammond told BBC News. The Environment Agency itself has faced criticism, including a ruling by the Office for Environmental Protection that it was not properly applying legislation regarding sewage discharges.

While the Environment Agency stated it would "always take action" for a breach of the law, it declined to confirm that spills should only occur during "exceptional circumstances," citing the need to consider various factors for criminal convictions. Water UK, representing water companies, noted that discharges should only occur under specific conditions, as confirmed by the High Court and the Office for Environmental Protection.

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It's totally outrageous, both from the point of the water companies who are exploiting the weak regulation but also from the Environment Agency's point of view, where they've not been doing their job properly.