New figures released today by the Environment Agency reveal that sewage pollution from storm overflows in England remains at “unacceptably high” levels, with over 3.6 million hours of discharges recorded in 2024 — prompting a sharp rebuke from Environment Secretary Steve Reed, who called the data “disgraceful.”
The Agency’s Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) data for 2024 shows a 2.9% drop in the number of sewage spills compared to 2023. However, the total spill duration rose slightly by 0.2%, reaching a staggering 3,614,428 hours across the year. The average number of spills per overflow in 2024 was 31.8, down from 33.1 in 2023. Additionally, 12.5% of storm overflows did not spill at all — a drop from 13.9% the previous year — while 39% spilled fewer than 10 times.
“This year’s data shows we are still a long way off where we need to be to stop unnecessary sewage pollution,” said Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell. “But it also provides vital intelligence that drives targeted investment. Using our Event Duration Monitoring analysis, we have worked with partners to secure £10.2 bn from water companies to improve storm overflows in England.”
The announcement comes after the Environment Agency and partners secured the largest environmental investment commitment from the water industry since privatisation. Under the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), water companies will take over 24,000 actions in the next five years, with £22.1 billion in investment — including £10.2 billion dedicated to improving storm overflows.
“To meet our requirements, water companies have committed to upgrading over 2,500 storm overflows – which is expected to reduce annual sewage spills by 85,000. Water companies will also install 3,500 monitors at emergency overflows sites, further protecting and enhancing 13,500 km of river,” the Agency said.
Echoing public frustration, Environment Secretary Steve Reed condemned the scale of pollution: “These figures are disgraceful and are a stark reminder of how years of underinvestment have led to water companies discharging unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes, and seas.”
Reed highlighted the government’s tougher stance on pollution, citing the landmark Water Act which has placed water companies under “tough special measures”, including banning unfair bonuses for polluting executives and introducing potential criminal charges for lawbreakers.
He added: “We will go further and faster. That’s why this government has secured over £100 billion of private sector investment to upgrade our crumbling infrastructure and not only clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good, but also help deliver economic growth across the country as part of our Plan for Change.”
Of that £104 billion investment planned for the next five years, major upgrades will target a 45% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2030 from 2021 levels. As part of the government’s new PR24 framework, improvements will prioritise environmentally sensitive sites and enhance bathing water quality.
To help further reduce the frequency and duration of storm overflow spills, Defra recently released new storm overflow guidance for water companies and regulators. This guidance directs investment toward the most environmentally sensitive areas.
Alongside its enforcement actions — including £151 million in fines from 65 prosecutions since 2015 — the Environment Agency is also tightening regulations, including updated permits with spill frequency thresholds and reclassifying all dry-day spills as pollution incidents.
“Reducing the use of storm overflows is vital to achieving healthier waterways,” the Environment Agency stated. “We now have the investment, mechanisms and powers to move closer towards a cleaner future.”
