Figures show duration of sewage spills doubled on 2022 levels, and the frequency of spillages was up 54%.
Storm overflows dumped sewage into rivers and seas across England for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023, more than double the previous year, figures show.
The Environment Agency data reveal there were 464,056 spills in 2023, up 54% from 301,091 in 2022, which the organisation said was partly due to England experiencing its sixth-wettest year on record.
The figures reveal the frequency and duration of spills from storm overflows, which dump untreated sewage into rivers and the sea, usually during heavy rainfall to stop sewers backing up, amid high levels of public concern and anger over the state of England’s waterways and beaches.
We have published Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) data for 2023, showing the frequency and duration of spills from storm overflows in England.
100% of storm overflows are now monitored across the water network, providing greater transparency than ever before. pic.twitter.com/duMdLleODi
— Environment Agency (@EnvAgency) March 27, 2024
The duration of the sewage spills had more than doubled from 1,754,921 hours hours in 2022, to 3,606,170 hours in 2023, the figures show.
Both the frequency and duration of spills were also up on 2020 levels, which saw comparable amounts of rainfall.
And the figures are at their highest ever levels, although officials caution that comparisons over the years are difficult as an increasing number of storm overflows have been fitted with monitors over time, and all now have the technology to record spills.
