Water and sewage companies have apologised for not acting quickly enough on sewage spills. As reported previously by Marine Industry News, Environment Agency figures earlier this year show a total of 301,091 sewage spills in 2022, an average of 824 a day. Now the industry says it plans to make the largest ever investment in storm overflows as part of a major programme to reduce spills into rivers and seas.

This ‘could’ come with a price tag of £10 billion – more than triple current investment levels – ready to be invested in a new National Overflows Plan, which Water UK says will enable the biggest modernisation of sewers since the Victorian era.

A new environmental data hub will be launched next year, to give near real-time information on overflows, as well as the state of rivers and coastal waters. It’ll hold information on all 15,000 overflows in the country with the aim to increase transparency and allow the public to hold companies to account.

Companies will also support up to 100 communities to create new protected waters for swimming and recreation.

An apology statement from Water UK (which represents 25 companies) says that that if the plan is approved by regulators, it’s expected that by 2030, sewage overflows will be cut by up to 140,000 each year compared to the level in 2020.

This first wave of the long-overdue ‘massive transformation programme’ is said to be across 350,000 miles of sewer (a length that would stretch 14 times round the world).

Also in the pipeline, is the installation of the equivalent of thousands of new Olympic swimming pools to hold surges in rainwater; increasing the capacity of sewage treatment works; replacing concrete with grass and ponds to reduce rainfall run-off entering sewers; and treating overflow spills so they have much less impact on the river.

“The message from the water and sewage industry today is clear: we are sorry,” says Ruth Kelly, chair of Water UK. “More should have been done to address the issue of spillages sooner and the public is right to be upset about the current quality of our rivers and beaches. We have listened and have an unprecedented plan to start to put it right. This problem cannot be fixed overnight, but we are determined to do everything we can to transform our rivers and seas in the way we all want to see.”

According to The Guardian shareholders in water companies will initially fund the investments. However, the costs will be recouped from customers through unspecified increases in their bills determined by regulators, in a move which threatens to add further pressure to household costs. It says Britain’s privatised water and sewage companies paid £1.4bn in dividends in 2022, up from £540m the previous year. Annual bonuses paid to water company executives rose by 20 per cent in 2021, as water bosses paid themselves £24.8m, including £14.7m in bonuses, benefits and incentives, in 2021-2022.

Water UK says a detailed National Overflows Plan will be published later this summer, explaining each companies’ approach to improving their overflows. This will include when improvements can be expected, and (as projects are developed) how improvements will be delivered and the expected results. Visit MIN’s archive to see how badly companies have performed, and revisit how, in October 2021, Tory MPs faced a backlash after voting against amending a bill to stop water companies dumping raw sewage into Britain’s rivers and seas.

The Floater – a surfboard made with raw sewage from the sea

Earlier this month, Niall Jones, released picture of The Floater via Surfers Against Sewage (SAS). This is a recycled surfboard he’s made – using recycled materials to build the body of the board and raw sewage which was collected from St. Agnes and Godrevy, popular surf spots on the coast of North Cornwall.

With sewage in the resin, and panels on the nose and fins filled with two litres of sewage water, it’s one of a kind. The Floater is a collaborative passion project between SAS, owner of Benthos Surf, Niall Jones, and creative agency Mr President.

On Saturday the 20 May, Surfers Against Sewage are hosting multiple Paddle Out Protests across the UK in a National Day of Action.

Images courtesy of Surfers Against Sewage. Ben Skinner (main image) is an eleven times European Surf Champion.

The post Water and sewage companies in England ‘apologise’ for sewage spills appeared first on Marine Industry News.