Almost 8,000 potentially illegal spills happened on dry days during the first half of the year and South West Water was responsible for more than a quarter….

…South West Water, which serves Devon, Cornwall and parts of Dorset and Somerset, was by far the worst offender. The company, which recently hired a former Tory MP who was previously critical of its “unacceptable” behaviour, spilt raw sewage 2,323 times into rivers and seas on dry days….

…South West Water said that rain falling in one place could take more than 24 hours to move through a catchment and trigger a spill in another area. This type of situation was due to topographical reasons and was outside of its control, it said…..

Are we buying this topographical explanation after such a dry season? – Owl

Thousands of potentially illegal sewage spills in first half of 2025

Adam Vaughan www.thetimes.com (Extract)

Almost 8,000 potentially illegal spills happened on dry days during the first half of the year and South West Water was responsible for more than a quarter.

Hundreds of the raw sewage spills in England occurred since the bathing season started on May 15, polluting rivers and seas when wild swimmers would least expect it.

Most of the hundreds of thousands of sewage spills each year are legally permitted, happening during times of heavy rainfall to stop sewage backing up into homes and businesses.

However, outfall permits issued to water companies do not allow for discharges on dry days so releases on a day without rain are likely to be illegal. Environment Agency (EA) figures released to The Times under transparency laws showed 7,888 dry day spills between January 1 and June 30.

South West Water, which serves Devon, Cornwall and parts of Dorset and Somerset, was by far the worst offender. The company, which recently hired a former Tory MP who was previously critical of its “unacceptable” behaviour, spilt raw sewage 2,323 times into rivers and seas on dry days.

The southwest has scores of beaches and spots such as the River Dart that are popular with wild swimmers. Most people who take part in open water swimming know to avoid waterways after periods of heavy rain when sewage pollution and agricultural run-off usually increase the risk of harmful bacteria such as E. coli being present.

By comparison, swimmers do not expect dry day spills, which are defined by the EA as ones with no rainfall above 0.25mm on the day and 24 hours before. They also tend to concentrate the pollution because it is not diluted by rainfall.

Anglian Water was responsible for the second-highest number of dry day spills, with 1,370 over the period, while Wessex Water was third on 982. Northumbrian Water had the fewest, with 292.

Since January, the EA has required water companies to report dry day spills on a rolling basis. The regulator is reviewing how many have breached company permits, which could result in written warnings and financial penalties.

The industry body Water UK said: “No spill is ever acceptable. Water companies are working to end them as fast as possible by tripling investment. Over the next five years, companies will invest £12 billion to halve spills from storm overflows by 2030, including relining and sealing sewers to prevent groundwater infiltration — one of the main causes of dry day spills.”

The EA said: “The number of pollution spills happening in dry weather is unacceptable. We investigate every dry spill and our message to the industry is clear: we will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action where we identify serious breaches.”

South West Water said that rain falling in one place could take more than 24 hours to move through a catchment and trigger a spill in another area. This type of situation was due to topographical reasons and was outside of its control, it said.

A spokeswoman added: “We are clear that storm overflows must only be used when absolutely necessary.” The company said a multibillion-pound investment plan was in place to curb the spills……