Water Companies In England Manipulated Sewage Tests, Report Finds

A report has found that water companies in England have been manipulating sewage tests, claiming to have passed pollution tests that were never actually carried out. Thousands of tests on water quality were reported as "no-flows" when effluent was not being discharged at the time of sampling, allowing companies to falsely report compliance with environmental regulations. The Environment Agency has moved to shut down this loophole to prevent further misreporting by the new year.

Raw sewage discharges into UK waterways have become routine, with over half a million incidents reported in 2023. Despite this, water companies that discharge sewage regularly are still viewed as having high environmental performance, with company bosses receiving bonuses linked to this metric. Campaigners are calling for a change in the system to hold companies accountable for pollution and to stop the harmful impact on British waterways caused by both sewage discharge and agricultural run-off.