According to the “Top of the Poops” web site South West Water pollutes rivers for longer than any other water company and is the top polluter of shellfish. River pollution is not recorded on SWW’s WaterFit Live but all discharges into rivers end in the sea.
In Owl’s view this makes SWW Waterfit Live “unfit for purpose”.
Swimming in sewage
Most, if not actually all, of the beaches and designated coastal bathing locations around England and Wales are regular recipients of a good layer of sewage.
Accuracy Warning We use data from the water companies, but we are seeing many anomalies, that make us believe that bathing location information is quite poor. The situation is likely far worse than reported here.
Water companies have a duty to report on the summer bathing season separately, and this made grim reading in 2022. For more details check out Surfers Against Sewage Water Quality Report 2022
Top of The Poops – Beaches
1.United Utilities – New Brighton 7,056 hours
2.United Utilities – Allonby 6,754 hours
3.United Utilities – Morecambe North 5,348 hours
4.South West Water – PLYMOUTH HOE (EAST) 5,158 hours
5.United Utilities – St Annes 4,700 hours
6.United Utilities – Morecambe South 4,614 hours
7.United Utilities – Seascale 4,545 hours
8.United Utilities – Southport, St Annes Pier, St. Annes North and Blackpool South 3,671 hours
9.Southern Water – COWES, GURNARD 3,161 hours
10.South West Water – MOTHECOMBE BEACH 2,884 hours
Rivers & Streams
Of the 4700 rivers in England, few escape from sewage dumping
Top of The Poops – Rivers
1.South West Water – Unknown 19,395 hours
2.Yorkshire Water – River Calder 18,079 hours
3.Severn Trent Water – River Severn 17,495 hours
4.Dwr Cymru Welsh Water – River Garw 16,134 hours
5.South West Water – River Tamar 15,546 hours
6.Dwr Cymru Welsh Water – River Teifi 14,079 hours
7.Dwr Cymru Welsh Water – River Tawe 13,981 hours
8.Yorkshire Water – River Aire 13,810 hours
9.United Utilities – River Irwell 12,939 hours
10.United Utilities – River Eden 11,780 hours
Sewage in the food chain?
Shellfish are sensitive to the quality of water that surrounds them, and as they filter the water, they can become contaminated with bacteria from the water around them.
Top of The Poops – Shellfish
1.South West Water – Teign 10,838 hours
2.South West Water – Fal Estuary 9,245 hours
3.United Utilities – NORTH WIRRAL (EAST) 8,665 hours
4.United Utilities – MORECAMBE BAY EAST 8,528 hours
5.South West Water – Exe 6,411 hours
6.South West Water – Dart 6,123 hours
7.United Utilities – MORECAMBE BAY (LEVEN) 5,529 hours
8.United Utilities – RIBBLE 5,155 hours
9.United Utilities – Morecambe Bay East and Lune (Broadfleet and Plover Scar) 5,104 hours
10.United Utilities – Solway 4,604 hours
East Devon Watch 