In Northern Ireland, there is a complete lack of monitoring, years behind the curve. Even Northern Ireland Water don’t know how much raw sewage they’re dumping onto the beaches and rivers of the nation. From the sliver of data they have supplied this year, we can see beaches with pollution risk forecasts happening on average twice a week through the bathing season.

Similarly, Scottish Water are dragging their heels with monitoring, only reporting on 4% of their sewage overflows. Over the last five years, untreated sewage has been released from 161 sewage overflows in Scotland a staggering 58,304 times. We can only imagine what’s coming out of the other 96%.

Citizen science water quality testing of England’s rivers has revealed that 60% of popular bathing sites don’t meet minimum safety requirements for water users. Testing from upstream and downstream of sewage overflows has shown a direct impact on water quality across four different locations. In 2022, England suffered 301,091 sewage discharges, yet English water companies paid dividends of £1.4 billion and £11 million to their CEOs (for year ending March 2023).

Recent news has thrown Wales into the spotlight as it’s shown that the Recent news has thrown Wales into the spotlight as it’s shown that the water companies in Wales have been illegally discharging sewage. They discharged for a total of 613,618 hours, that’s the equivalent to 25,567 continuous days of sewage discharge in 2022.

Our own investigation has also revealed Welsh Water has been using their emergency overflows recklessly (and potentially illegally), discharging from Gwbert pumping station 24 times in the last two years. They’re using their assets however they like, regardless of permit and regardless of the impact on the environment.

Across the UK, sewage pollution issues are intricate and complex, but we can all relate to is the amount of shit flooding into rivers and seas on a daily basis. The UK as a whole saw untreated sewage gush onto beaches and inland beauty spots at least 399,864 times last year.

From Thurso to Fistral, Cardiff to Belfast, the symptoms are the same, our wildlife and ecosystems are suffering and people are getting sick.

This year we received 1,924 sickness reports from water users who got ill after entering the water. From Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales to England, people are suffering from the same issues after entering contaminated water. Some were sick for a day, some a week and some, sadly, are now suffering from chronic illness.

We’ve heard from many brave water lovers in this report who have come forward to share their stories and urge for change from governments, regulators and water companies on sewage and other water pollutants.

As we read through sickness reports and images of sewage flowing out onto well-loved beaches, we would be forgiven for feeling like nothing changed from last year – but it has.

Through this report, we’ve heard the stories of campaigners who are fighting for access to clean and safe water in their area. Their inspirational stories are but a glimpse into the steady stream of community action bubbling up across our nations.

From Ruby’s campaign to save Lough Neagh, to Steve and his Scarborough businesses fighting the sewage on their doorstep. And the Citizen Science schemes by the Porty Water Collective to Hannah from the Friends of the Dart community fighting for bathing water designation – these actions by everyday people who give a crap, are culminating into a tidal wave movement on water quality across the UK. And we’re being heard.

Actions on the ground this year and in the decades before, are not just cleaning up the state of water at a local level, they are also feeding into the national debate and forcing politicians to think about solutions to fix the systemic issues which are the fundamental causes of sewage pollution.

Our collective cries at the lack of water quality information now means by the end of 2023, water companies in England will have to monitor all storm overflows. And this increased amount of data is already allowing us to expose the illegal activities of water companies, and the failure of both governments and regulators to hold them accountable for this.

In Northern Ireland, the outcry from locals has finally got the ball rolling on the provision of at least some kind of water quality data, and whilst the information is weak right now with so much more to be done, we are at least moving in the right direction.

As a result of campaigning this year, England’s financial regulator has looked again at whether water companies should be able to dish out bonuses and dividends. And they’ve started to hold them to account for this.

There is of course so much more that still needs to be done to truly #EndSewagePollution but we are part of an upswell of action and an opportunity for change is approaching.

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