2024 Sewage Scandal: New Data, Same Dirty Rivers

The Environment Agency (EA) has released its latest Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) data, revealing that sewage spills in 2024 remain alarmingly high. Despite some claims of progress, the figures show that little has changed – with sewage pollution still devastating Britain’s rivers, lakes, and coastlines.

Sewage Crisis by the Numbers

The latest data highlights:

• Total spill duration hit record high – Sewage spilled into waterways for 3.6 million hours
• Slight drop in average spills per overflow – While the number of spills per overflow have fallen slightly, there have been a shocking 450,000 spills which is 50% higher than 2022
• Highest number of monitored overflows – With more EDM devices commissioned, the scale of the problem is becoming clearer.

Same Scandal, Another Year

River Action’s CEO, James Wallace condemned the figures, calling them further proof of a broken and corrupt water industry:

“We sound like a broken record—but that’s because nothing has changed. The water industry is still broken. A year on from last year’s catastrophic pollution figures, the true scale of the UK’s water crisis is only now coming to light, thanks to increased real-time monitoring. The numbers are staggering: 3.6 million hours of sewage spills from 450 thousand discharges. That’s equivalent to 412 continuous years of sewage polluting our rivers, lakes and seas”

He specifically called out Thames Water, the country’s largest water company, which discharged raw sewage for a shocking 298,081 hours with a 51% increase in sewage spills hours since 2023.

“Yet, despite this environmental catastrophe, they’ve been given the green light to saddle a company on the brink of collapse with an additional £3 billion in debt.”

Unmonitored Failings and Toxic Effluent

The CEO also warned that the true scale of the problem is even worse, as much of the industry’s pollution goes unreported:

“About 30% of Thames Water’s infrastructure is unmapped, meaning vast sections remain a mystery to both the company and regulators. On top of this, most sewage treatment permits don’t require the removal of dangerous pathogens, meaning even ‘treated’ effluent still poses a huge threat to public health and wildlife.”

The Public Pays the Price

Despite the ongoing sewage scandal, regulators have signed off on massive bill increases for customers, forcing them to pay for the industry’s failings.

“Instead of tackling this scandal, the water regulator has signed off massive bill increases for the public, while water company bosses continue to pocket obscene salaries and investors reap profits while costly debts soar. A third of my water bill services junk debt. It’s madness.”

River Action Calls for Special Administration and Reform

River Action is calling on the Government to place Thames Water into special administration to prevent further financial and environmental damage. The Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, must also deliver a radical new model for the industry—one that prioritises people and the planet over profit.

“Rather than fixing leaky pipes and investing in infrastructure, these companies have treated our rivers and coastlines like an open sewer—and regulators have let them get away with it. The Water Commission must put an end to this failed privatisation experiment and force real reform of the industry and regulators. We need to learn from our European neighbours, and use finance and governance models that put people and nature before investors.”

Enough Excuses—It’s Time for Action

The latest sewage spills data proves that the water industry continues to fail the public and the environment. With the Water Commission’s recommendations looming, the UK stands at a crossroads:

Will we continue to tolerate pollution-for-profit, or

Will we demand a fair, public-first water system that protects our rivers and coastlines?

The public deserves more than excuses—it’s time for genuine reform.