Water Supplier Sewage Spills: 11 Ofwat Enforcement Cases Now Open
Water quality in the UK has been a growing problem over the last few years, put under pressure from the likes of agricultural pollution, industrial pollution, urban pollution and sewage… so much so, in fact, that just 14 per cent of the nation’s waterways are currently classified as having good ecological status.
While there are many diffuse sources of pollution that are affecting rivers, lakes and streams around the country, one of the biggest challenges our waterways face is sewage discharge by water suppliers.
These discharges take place each and every day, and while they are legally permissible during periods of intense rainfall in order to prevent sewage from backing up into homes and businesses, accidental spillages have been taking place with increasing regularity.
Furthermore, illegal dry spills are also becoming an issue, where the overflow system is used even when heavy rainfall hasn’t been seen.
All this pollution can have a devastating impact on ecosystems and biodiversity, increasing nutrient levels in the water and causing harmful algal blooms, which leads to the death of aquatic species by starving water of oxygen.
It also puts water users at greater risk of contracting harmful illnesses, as was seen at the World Triathlon Championship Series in Sunderland last summer, where at least 57 athletes fell sick, potentially down to suspected E.coli bacteria present in the water.
Why do we need storm overflows?
Combined sewer overflows form an integral part of the national sewerage system, serving as relief valves to prevent the network from being overwhelmed during downpours, where huge amounts of rainwater flow into drains in a short space of time. If this happens, there’s a risk of both flooding events and sewage backing up into properties.
To help prevent this from happening, water supplies are permitted to use the storm overflows to release the extra rainwater and wastewater into rivers or the sea. However, spills can also take place during emergencies, such as equipment failures or blockages somewhere along the network.
It’s thought that because of the amount of rainwater that’s mixed in with the effluent during intense rainfall events, the sewage will be diluted sufficiently to minimise its impact on the water environment.
However, given that water quality is clearly suffering and has been for some time, the evidence suggests that the use of combined sewer overflows must be addressed with some urgency if we are to build resilience into the nation’s potable water supplies and safeguard resources for future generations.
Enforcement action
Today (July 16th), industry regulator Ofwat has announced that there are now 11 enforcement cases launched against water and wastewater companies in England and Wales, part of its investigation into how suppliers manage their treatment works and water networks.
The latest four notices have been served against Severn Trent, United Utilities, Hafren Dyfrdwy and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, following detailed analysis of environmental performance and data relating to how often these suppliers use storm overflows to spill sewage.
Chief executive of the watchdog David Black said: “The fact that Ofwat now has enforcement cases with all 11 of the wastewater companies in England and Wales demonstrates how concerned we are about the sector’s environmental performance.
“Where we find that companies have breached their obligations, we will continue to act. Over recent years, we have imposed penalties and payments of over £300 million on water and wastewater companies.
“This is the largest and most complex investigation Ofwat has undertaken. However, Ofwat is committed to concluding these cases as quickly as possible, so that the sector can focus on delivering the £88 billion expenditure PR24 will unlock to deliver cleaner rivers and seas.
“As part of this package of investment, £10 billion is earmarked to tackle storm overflows with a target to reduce spills from storm overflows by 44 per cent.”
How are water suppliers tackling sewage spills?
While it might seem all doom and gloom for water quality at the moment, the good news is that suppliers do seem to be taking action to address the issue, so hopefully positive inroads will soon be made in this regard.
Northumbrian Water, for example, recently launched a £20 million project that will combine AI analytics, new technology and sensors to reduce the risk of overflows, based on similar work in South Bend, Indiana, where smart sewer technology was installed along the pipe network and succeeded in reducing spills by 80 per cent over a ten-year period.
Severn Trent, meanwhile, started a £450 million regional programme of investment at the start of the month that aims to reduce storm overflow spills by 20 per cent each year, with work in Warwickshire already underway.
Projects completed thus far include £169,000 of improvements to Fenny Compton wastewater treatment works, the installation of new storage solutions at Hurley Waste treatment works to increase capacity by 170,000 litres, and reed bed improvements and new pipework to reduce the use of overflows in Atherstone.
The Environment Agency has also succeeded in fitting all storm overflows across the water network with event duration monitors in order to increase transparency and ensure that water suppliers can be held accountable.
However, the fact of the matter is that data for 2023 shows that there was a 54 per cent increase in sewage spills compared to 2022 and a 13 per cent increase compared to 2020.
As such, while it’s certainly commendable that water suppliers appear to now be taking the problem seriously, it seems that there’s still a huge amount of work to be done in order to improve the state of the nation’s waterways and ensure that water quality is no longer a cause for concern.
It seems that it’s very much a matter of wait and see at the moment… but we here at SwitchWaterSupplier.com will keep our finger on the pulse and update you with all the latest news as and when it happens.