Dry weather sewage discharges soar as water companies face scrutiny

Exclusive: 7,280 suspected illegal spills in rivers and sea recorded in first five months of 2026 The number of suspected illegal discharges of raw sewage into rivers and seas by water companies during dry weather increased significantly during the first five months of 2026. Dumping raw sewage into waterways during dry

THE PUBLIC has “had enough” of inaction, water campaigners warned today as new analysis found South West Water to cause the most environmental damage in England of any utility. More sewage was discharged in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset than anywhere else in England, according to data Friends of the Earth shared