Campaigning organisation Surfers Against Sewage has today published its latest Water Quality Report, saying that the report reveals that “sewage is being dumped into our rivers and seas on a scale that defies belief.” 

According to the report, in 2024, water companies in England recorded 2,487 pollution incidents—more than double the target set by the Environment Agency, marking the highest number in a decade.

In Wales, the report says 118,276 sewage spills were recorded by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water in 2024 for a total of 968,340 hours - more than one every five minutes and the highest of any UK water company.

In Scotland, the report says there were 23,498 sewage spills for over 208,377 hours - from just 6.7% of the network. SAS says Scottish Water failed to report 73% of spills in real time and that the missing data means “the true scale is anyone’s guess.” Based on current rates, SAS has calculated that the actual number could be as high as 364,629 sewage spills.

SAS is reporting a similar situation in Northern Ireland where only 2,967 sewage discharges were officially recorded in 2024. However, with just 122 sewage overflows monitored (only 4.3% of the entire network), out of the country’s 2,806 CSOs, the report says the number “barely scratches the surface.” SAS has calculated that if there was 100% monitoring there would have been an estimated 61,732 spills.

The organisation is also reporting that its Safer Seas & Rivers Service App received 1,853 illness reports from water users in 2024 alone - 331 people saw a doctor and 79% were told their illness was caused by sewage.

Radical reform now needed – water companies in England have failed to meet Environment Agency target to cut total pollution incidents by 40%

According to the report, SAS' own analysis of Freedom Of Information data from the Environment Agency reveals that water companies in England have failed to meet the AMP7 commitment cited by Ofwat that “the sector committed to reducing total pollution incidents by 30% over the 2020-25 period.”

The report states that Pollution Incidents per 10,000km of pipe have increased by 23% from 2020 to the start of 2025, while total pollution incidents have increased by 45%.

“Not only have water companies in England failed to deliver their own promises, they have failed to deliver the target set by the Environment Agency to reduce total pollution incidents by 40% from 2016 levels between 2020-2025. With pollution incidents in 2024 up by 30% from 2016 levels”, the report says.

SAS also criticises the water companies for underdelivery and underspending on their investment budgets, levels of dividends paid to shareholders, growing levels of debt and soaring customer bills.

SAS says:

“We simply cannot trust the UK’s water industry in its current state. Our Water Quality Report calls for urgent and transformational reform of the privatised water industry.”

The report sets out five key principles a new system must include to end sewage pollution:

• Legal Priority to Protect Public and Environmental Health

The water companies’ priority must be to protect and improve public and environmental health, over making profit or returns for shareholders

• Democratic Decision Making

Decisions about how water is managed should be taken on a regional and local level with the input of local stakeholders with real decision-making power - including waters users, customers, local authorities, environmental groups and engineers.

• Value for Money

Customers must get what they pay for and a new system must be regulated to attract much-needed investment from long-term low-risk lenders investing over time and getting paid back once projects are delivered. Investment in innovative and effective catchment scale nature-based solutions should be prioritised to help tackle the causes of sewage pollution and deliver cost-effective co-benefits for biodiversity and climate.

Regulators must ensure finances are used efficiently and debt managed sustainably.

• Tough Independent Regulators

Regulators must enforce the law and hold polluters to account. In particular, preventing illegal discharges occurring outside of exceptional circumstances. 

They must end pollution for profit by stopping all forms of financial reward for water companies, shareholders and creditors who break the law and deliver consistently poor environmental performance.

They must be independent and sufficiently resourced to carry out the monitoring, enforcement and prosecution that will ensure full legal compliance and dramatic environmental improvement.

• Transparency

Water companies must reveal the truth about their operations across the business and provide the public with consistent, easily understandable information to protect water users’ health.

There should be complete transparency around the funding and rewards paid out by water companies to ensure no one associated with the business can profit from pollution.

Independent Water Commission has potential to be historic turning point

Commenting on the Independent Water Commission being led by Sir Jon Cunliffe which is currently looking at potential reform of the water sector in England and Wales, SAS says:

“This year’s Water Quality Report highlights a litany of systemic failures...

“Now is our opportunity for real change. The Independent Commission will be finalising its recommendations for water industry reform in England and Wales in May. This is our chance to be heard.

“This has the potential to be a historic turning point… But it requires the Commission to be ambitious and consider all the available evidence. It can’t simply bow to pressure from vested interests.”

Click here to download the SAS Water Quality Report 2025 in full

The Independent Water Commission Call for Evidence closes at midnight on 23^rd April 2025 – click here to access the Call for Evidence online consultation