Water companies dumped sewage for greater than 10,000 hours from ‘emergency’ pipes last year
Emergency overflow pipes should only be used in “urgent circumstances”, but data shows sewage overflows were used 1,463 times in 2025, lasting 10,220 hours
Protesters have complained against sewage in our waterways(Image: Getty Images)
Shameless water firms dumped sewage for more than 10,000 hours from ‘emergency ‘pipes last year, new figures show. There are around 7,000 emergency overflow pipes in England designed to prevent sewage backups in homes.
They should only be used in “urgent circumstances”, but data shows sewage overflows were used 1,463 times in 2025, lasting 10,220 hours.
And campaigners reckon this may represent a fraction of the real figure as only 686 emergency overflow pipes are monitored, less than 10% of the total.
Water companies are also suspected of operating hundreds of secret pipes, according to the Environment Agency.
James Wallace, chief executive of campaign group River Action, said: “It is crazy that we don’t have an accurate record of the nation’s water infrastructure.
“How can we invest properly if we don’t even know what’s where? It is deeply concerning that the Environment Agency believes there are unpermitted emergency overflows still operating outside the system.
“Without full monitoring, the public cannot know the true scale of sewage pollution in our rivers, lakes and seas.”
Louise Reddy, of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Emergency overflows exist for exactly that: emergencies. Not as a routine means of dumping raw sewage into our rivers, seas and designated bathing waters because water companies have left infrastructure to rot.”
Water UK, the industry’s representative, said: “Some of these overflows may be operating as storm overflows and it is likely many were permitted incorrectly.
“Water companies are investing £12bn to halve spills from storm overflows by 2030 and install monitors on emergency overflows.”
