There is still a great deal of confusion surrounding water quality and storm overflows.
Media headlines have stated that the quality of UK waters is worse than ever before, that EU water quality is far better, and that Conservative Members of Parliament voted to dump sewage. All of these statements are untrue.
Firstly, storm overflows are a necessary feature of the sewage system. 40% of England’s sewers, around 100,000km, are combined, meaning that surface water and wastewater flow into the same pipes. When there is heavy rainfall and the system gets too full, pressure relief valves known as storm overflows release excess water to prevent it flooding into homes and businesses.
Combined sewer systems around the world have storm overflows, including around 15,000 in England and up to 650,000 across Europe.
Sewage has been spilt into waterways using storm overflows since sewers were installed, but the increase in data means we are all far more aware of it happening.
In 2013, Richard Benyon MP, then the Minister for Natural Environment, instructed water companies to introduce monitoring on the majority of storm overflows by 2020. In 2016, when the rollout began, there were just 862 monitors while in 2020 there were 12,092, providing intelligence on over 80% of the network. Data was available for 13,340 storm overflows during 2022 (91%), and there will be full coverage by the end of 2023. There are already event duration monitors on 100% of the storm overflows in the South West Water area.
This increase in monitoring has led to misleading graphs and information being shared on social media, such as the below.
The increase shown in the graph above is primarily (if not entirely) due to an increase in the number of monitors and therefore the number of monitored events, rather than an increase in the number of sewage spills.
Analyses and reports by opposition parties have been shared by the media without scrutiny. Despite containing extremely misleading data. Systems brought in by the Conservative Government have been used against them.
Similarly, many people still believe Conservative MPs voted to allow sewage to be pumped into rivers. This is not the case, as the Environment Act 2021, which was voted in by Conservative MPS, enshrines a duty in law to ensure water companies secure a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows. The proposed Wellington Amendment, which MPs voted against, would have allowed water companies to pass costs of up to £650 billion on to the British public.
Headlines have highlighted how the number of rivers classified as ‘good’ ecological status under the EU Water Framework Directive is declining (for example 25% of rivers in England met ‘good’ status in 2009 but only 14% in 2021). However, this is largely because the number of substances tested for increased in 2015 and 2019. This accounts for 40% of the decline, while much of the rest is likely to be due to agriculture. Only 35% of river pollution is down to the water industry, while 40% is from farming run off and rural land management. This is why the Government introduced the Farming Rules for Water in 2018, to prevent water pollution from agricultural sources by providing guidance on applying and storing fertilisers, and the management of soil and livestock.
Compared to Europe, the UK is not a poor outlier as many other countries are in a similar position. The UK’s rivers are in a similar situation to Belgium at 14% “Good” ecological status, while Germany is only 8% and the Netherlands is less than 4%.
The UK is also comparable with the EU in terms of bathing water status - in 2022 93% of UK bathing waters were classified as “good” or “excellent”, up from 70% in 2009, while the average for EU countries is also 93%.
When it comes to privatisation versus nationalisation, while English water network is privatised, Scotland and Northern Ireland’s are publicly owned and Welsh Water is not for profit. The issues with the water industry, including sewage spills, persist in all four nations. However, England has almost half the number of clean water leaks per head of those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with lower levels than many other European countries.
Investment in the water industry in England and Wales has roughly doubled since privatisation in 1989, rising drastically in the 1990s. According to Ofwat, average total expenditure has been consistently running at around £10bn a year since 2000 including capital expenditure of around £5bn to £6bn.
Between 2020 and 2025, the UK is investing more in water infrastructure than any other European country.
This is the fourth highest annual investment rate per head in Europe.
I hope this provides some clarification on some of the claims in the media. While there are undeniably ongoing issues with water quality and the water industry, I, along with colleagues, am working very hard to hold water companies to account and ensure they improve their service.
I speak to South West Water on a regular basis to raise issues, seek clarification and push for further action. I have already organised two open meetings between for residents to address SWW, and am in the process of organising further meetings in Kingsbridge and Dartmouth. More information on these meetings will be shared in due course.