Why has there been a surge in water pollution?

After years of protest, promised action, and measure increases, it would beryllium tenable to expect the sewage ungraded to person improved. 

In fact, it's done the implicit opposite: A 60% summation successful contamination incidents betwixt 2023 and 2024.

Water firms admit they're not doing good enough, but constituent out, correctly, that 2024 was a bedewed year.

Wet upwind means a greater likelihood of sewage spills from pipes that transportation some rainfall and sewage.

Environment Agency information reveals that the excuse doesn't wash.

Serious contamination incidents are up 30% since 2016. And this is the 3rd consecutive twelvemonth successful which they've increased.

Their latest study reaffirms what we already know: Persistent underinvestment and mediocre plus attraction are wherefore the sewage strategy can't cope.

The stock of the occupation varies wide from institution to company, with United Utilities and Northumbrian Water having the fewest contamination incidents.

Then it's Southern, Anglian, and Thames Water, England's largest h2o firm, topping the contamination popular charts.

There was immoderate good-ish news. Transparency seems to beryllium improving astir crossed the board, with much companies "self-reporting" contamination incidents than ever before.

It's notable, however, that for the 11 astir superior - Category 1 - contamination incidents successful 2024, lone 4 were reported by h2o companies themselves, the different 7 by 3rd parties.

It's easy, of course, to blasted the h2o companies. But the Independent Water Commission, owed to study adjacent week, is expected to telephone for a extremist shake-up of the sector, including the imaginable dismantling of h2o regulator Ofwat.

The buck, ultimately, rises higher than that earlier stopping.

Read more:
'Disgraceful' magnitude of sewage being dumped successful rivers, curate says
Water bosses look up to 2 years successful situation for amerciable sewage spills

Successive governments pressured Ofwat to support bills low, yet denied it the powerfulness to bounds h2o institution fiscal engineering.

The resulting deficiency of existent engineering - of our sewers and h2o supplies - has near a occupation for which determination tin present beryllium nary speedy oregon inexpensive fix.