Monitors used to measure the amount of sewage pumped into the sea across the UK are faulty or even not installed, according to a new analysis of the data.
Data from the Environment Agency shows water companies have failed to monitor sewage discharges along the coastline, including from UK seaside resorts.
Dozens of pollution warnings have been issued at beaches and swimming spots in England and Wales this week after heavy rain flooded sewer systems, causing water companies to dump sewage into the natural environment.
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Ministers are facing mounting calls to clamp down on water companies criticised for not reinvesting money into Britain’s outdated water infrastructure.
Boris Johnson’s father Stanley has blamed his son’s government for the sewage problem. “We have to blame the government for not pushing this as hard as it should,” Johnson Sr. said in a radio interview.
“Without the push from the EU, you can understand how the government feels like it can’t push this, as it should.”
The Lib Dems, who conducted the data analysis, said water utilities either had event duration monitors (EDMs) in place that often failed, or none at all. The EDM should measure the amount and length of sewage dumping caused by storm overflows.
Overall, the party found that 24% of sewage discharges were not monitored last year, while the 1,802 monitors installed by water utilities across the UK were not working at least 90% of the time.
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According to the party, Anglian Water had the highest failure rate, with 49 per cent of effluent discharges not being measured due to failures or no monitors installed. It was followed by South West Water (30%) and Severn Trent Water (29%).
The party said one in eight sewage monitors installed by South West Water at designated bathing locations in Cornwall and Devon were either faulty or not installed.
In Sussex, Southern Water was found to have not installed one at all at the popular waterfront site at Littlehampton Quays, while the one in Seaford was working only a third of the time.
This comes after an analysis by the Liberal Democrats found that water companies dumped sewage in public swimming pools for more than 160,000 hours last year.
Labour said earlier this week that data it obtained from the Environment Agency through a freedom of information request showed untreated sewage had been pumped into UK waterways for a total of 9,427,355 hours since 2016.
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The party also said data showed a 2,553 per cent increase in monitored discharge hours from 2016 to 2021, arguing that the situation had “deteriorated dramatically” under the Conservative Party.
The LDP said the amount of sewage could be “much higher”, according to a new analysis of the monitor.
The party’s environment spokesman, MP Tim Fallon, said: “These water companies may be guilty of gross negligence by failing to install sewage monitors.
“This is a national scandal and these new figures smell like a cover-up. Britain’s seaside resorts are flooded with dirty sewage, but the government is nowhere to be found.
“Why on earth are Tory ministers letting them go unpunished? Sussex has been devastated by the shameful dumping of sewage over southern water in recent days.
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He added: “The CEO of Southern Water should go to Seaford to check this sewage monitor immediately. The public needs to know how safe it is to swim at popular beaches, if at all.”
Earlier this week, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) released a response to the issue outlining the actions it was taking.
Water Minister Steve Double said: “We are the first government to take action to address sewage overflows.”
A spokesman for Anglian Water said: “All [the places designated for bathing] EDM display installed. The installation of EDM monitors on all CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflows) in our area has been overdone. “
PA News has also contacted Southern Water, South West Water and Severn Trent Water for comment.
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Rebecca Speare-Cole is a reporter for PA.
