Bathing websites hit by a million sewage spills in ‘nationwide scandal’ | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Water corporations have spilled sewage into bathing websites a million instances during the last 5 years, it has been revealed.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey declared it a “national scandal” and known as for motion to make bathing websites protected for the general public to make use of forward of this summer season.

He stated: “Our rivers and beaches are the pride of Britain — but this bank holiday, families are being forced to check whether their water company has dumped sewage nearby before letting their children swim.

“It’s a national scandal. Parents shouldn’t have to worry about their kids getting sick just for playing outside in the sunshine.”

Designated bathing websites in England noticed 145,606 hours – or 6,067 days – of sewage dumping in 2025, figures from the Environment Agency confirmed.

These are spots which might be monitored by environmental businesses for water high quality between May and September.

But Britons are terrified of swimming in UK waterways with over half of all UK adults surveyed for the Liberal Democrats (53%) admitting they’d really feel uncomfortable swimming, or letting a beloved one swim, in native waterways.

The Party has known as on the Government to make water corporations report on spill quantity, relatively than period, to cease them intentionally obscuring the extent of air pollution they trigger.

Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat’s setting spokesman, stated: “We have given the Government countless cues to take action on this national scandal, yet they continue to move at a sluggish pace on any moves to reform the water industry.

“We cannot just sit idly by while yet more people get seriously ill when trying to enjoy British lakes, rivers and seas. The government must take immediate steps to replace Ofwat with a stronger, unified regulator.

“The Government must force the water companies to end the sewage cover up and bring in a regulator with real teeth to punish them for this scandal. Time is running out to clean up bathing sites so that Brits can enjoy them this Summer – without being hospitalised.”

A Water UK spokesman stated: “The latest data from the Environment Agency show 87% of bathing waters achieved a ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ rating. This is a stark contrast to the 1990s when less than a third of bathing waters would have met today’s standards.

“No sewage spill is ever acceptable, and water companies are investing £12 billion to halve spills from storm overflows by 2030.”

A Labour spokesman: “This is a classic case of Lib Dems calling for change that Labour is already delivering.”

“We shouldn’t forget the role the Lib Dems played in the Tory sewage scandal during their time in government.”

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stated: “This government is ending the era of water company self-monitoring, introducing new MOT-style checks on water company assets, requiring health checks on pipes and pumps, and bringing in ‘no notice’ inspections to help clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.