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Thames Water data reveals raw sewage discharges in rivers rose 50% in 2024

News Feed
Tuesday, March 18, 2025

A record 50% more raw sewage was discharged into rivers in England by Thames Water last year compared with the previous 12 months, data seen by the Guardian reveals.Thames, the largest of the privatised water companies, which is teetering on the verge of collapse with debts of £19bn, was responsible for almost 300,000 hours of raw sewage pouring into waterways in 2024 from its ageing sewage works, according to the data. This compares with 196,414 hours of raw effluent dumped in 2023.The data, obtained by the analyst Peter Hammond in answer to an environmental information request to the company, comes after Thames Water won approval from the court of appeal for a £3bn emergency debt bailout to avoid collapse.Environmental campaigners and a small group of Thames’s creditors unsuccessfully challenged the bailout loan on the grounds it was not in the public interest and would continue a “Thames Water debt doom loop”. They argued temporary nationalisation under a special administration regime would be a better option.The raw sewage discharge data from event duration monitors on Thames Water combined sewer overflows, pumping stations and treatment works reveals the scale of the investment challenge ahead to fix its crumbling infrastructure.To pay for the investment Thames Water is seeking to raise household bills by 59% over the next five years in an appeal to the Competiton and Markets Authority, far higher than the 35% that the regulator, Ofwat, has approved.Thames Water’s sewage treatment works were responsible for almost 90% of the 298,081 hours of raw sewage it released into rivers in 2024, the data shows. The works are already subject to a criminal Environment Agency (EA) investigation into illegal sewage dumping and a parallel inquiry by Ofwat, which has ordered the water company to move at pace to put things right.Thames has admitted it has left its sewage treatment works to crumble for decades as a result of underinvestment. Its own business documents say it has “sweated these assets” by failing to invest in their upkeep, and as a result its infrastructure poses a risk to public safety, water supply and to the environment.The data also shows that raw sewage was discharged from its network of combined sewer overflows, which are supposed to be used only in exceptional circumstances, and from sewage pumping stations. According to the spill data: The Amersham balancing tanks in Buckinghamshire, which are supposed to safely store excess sewage after heavy rain, discharged 4,842 hours of raw sewage in 2024. Amersham was the scene of the longest unbroken individual discharge, when the equivalent of 154 days of raw sewage spilled into the River Misbourne, a chalk stream, last year. Marlborough sewage treatment works dumped raw sewage for 2,786 hours. At the Chesham sewage treatment works there were 2,681 hours of sewage discharges. Steve Reed, the environment secretary, has promised to clean up rivers and has set a target for water companies to achieve an average of 10 spills per sewage overflow by 2050. There was an average of 45.2 spills per overflow in 2024, according to the latest Thames data.Ash Smith, of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, who monitors raw sewage pollution into the River Windrush, said: “Thames Water has become reliant on dumping sewage and paying dividends and bonuses while the billpayer funds everything.“The regulator’s inactivity and inertia plays a vital role in allowing this and to call it a scandal is an understatement.”skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionThe analysis suggests discharges are taking place in breach of the permit rules for the treatment works and could be illegal. For example, according to Hammond’s analysis, Marlborough sewage treatment discharged raw sewage for 26 days into the River Kennet, a chalk stream that is a site of special scientific interest. The spills were illegal, Hammond believes, because they took place on dry days in breach of the legal permit to operate.Thames Water said the data had to be verified by the EA and could be subject to change. “In 2024 we experienced one of the wettest years on record. Storm discharges are closely correlated with rainfall and groundwater conditions, and we therefore experienced an increase in the frequency and duration of storm discharge events during 2024,” the water company said.“We know how much people enjoy and appreciate rivers, which is why over the next five years we will deliver a record amount of investment to address our ageing infrastructure. This is an enormous undertaking; we are responsible for the oldest and most complex infrastructure of any company in the sector.”It added: “While all storm discharges are unacceptable, the sewage system was historically designed to prevent sewage backing up into people’s homes. Transparency is at the heart of what we do, and we were the first water company to publish a real time data map on our website, before it became legal requirement to do so.”Hammond, a professor of computational biology at University College London, now retired, is an expert on water company raw sewage discharges. His evidence to MPs on the environmental audit committee in 2021 showed the scale of illegal raw sewage discharges by water companies was 10 times greater than the EA estimated, prompting the biggest criminal investigation by the agency into illegal spills and the parallel Ofwat investigation. Both investigations are ongoing.

Exclusive: Almost 300,000 hours of raw effluent poured into waterways, figures show, up from 196,000 in 2023A record 50% more raw sewage was discharged into rivers in England by Thames Water last year compared with the previous 12 months, data seen by the Guardian reveals.Thames, the largest of the privatised water companies, which is teetering on the verge of collapse with debts of £19bn, was responsible for almost 300,000 hours of raw sewage pouring into waterways in 2024 from its ageing sewage works, according to the data. This compares with 196,414 hours of raw effluent dumped in 2023.The Amersham balancing tanks in Buckinghamshire, which are supposed to safely store excess sewage after heavy rain, discharged 4,842 hours of raw sewage in 2024.Amersham was the scene of the longest unbroken individual discharge, when the equivalent of 154 days of raw sewage spilled into the River Misbourne, a chalk stream, last year.Marlborough sewage treatment works dumped raw sewage for 2,786 hours.At the Chesham sewage treatment works there were 2,681 hours of sewage discharges. Continue reading...

A record 50% more raw sewage was discharged into rivers in England by Thames Water last year compared with the previous 12 months, data seen by the Guardian reveals.

Thames, the largest of the privatised water companies, which is teetering on the verge of collapse with debts of £19bn, was responsible for almost 300,000 hours of raw sewage pouring into waterways in 2024 from its ageing sewage works, according to the data. This compares with 196,414 hours of raw effluent dumped in 2023.

The data, obtained by the analyst Peter Hammond in answer to an environmental information request to the company, comes after Thames Water won approval from the court of appeal for a £3bn emergency debt bailout to avoid collapse.

Environmental campaigners and a small group of Thames’s creditors unsuccessfully challenged the bailout loan on the grounds it was not in the public interest and would continue a “Thames Water debt doom loop”. They argued temporary nationalisation under a special administration regime would be a better option.

The raw sewage discharge data from event duration monitors on Thames Water combined sewer overflows, pumping stations and treatment works reveals the scale of the investment challenge ahead to fix its crumbling infrastructure.

To pay for the investment Thames Water is seeking to raise household bills by 59% over the next five years in an appeal to the Competiton and Markets Authority, far higher than the 35% that the regulator, Ofwat, has approved.

Thames Water’s sewage treatment works were responsible for almost 90% of the 298,081 hours of raw sewage it released into rivers in 2024, the data shows. The works are already subject to a criminal Environment Agency (EA) investigation into illegal sewage dumping and a parallel inquiry by Ofwat, which has ordered the water company to move at pace to put things right.

Thames has admitted it has left its sewage treatment works to crumble for decades as a result of underinvestment. Its own business documents say it has “sweated these assets” by failing to invest in their upkeep, and as a result its infrastructure poses a risk to public safety, water supply and to the environment.

The data also shows that raw sewage was discharged from its network of combined sewer overflows, which are supposed to be used only in exceptional circumstances, and from sewage pumping stations. According to the spill data:

  • The Amersham balancing tanks in Buckinghamshire, which are supposed to safely store excess sewage after heavy rain, discharged 4,842 hours of raw sewage in 2024.

  • Amersham was the scene of the longest unbroken individual discharge, when the equivalent of 154 days of raw sewage spilled into the River Misbourne, a chalk stream, last year.

  • Marlborough sewage treatment works dumped raw sewage for 2,786 hours.

  • At the Chesham sewage treatment works there were 2,681 hours of sewage discharges.

Steve Reed, the environment secretary, has promised to clean up rivers and has set a target for water companies to achieve an average of 10 spills per sewage overflow by 2050. There was an average of 45.2 spills per overflow in 2024, according to the latest Thames data.

Ash Smith, of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, who monitors raw sewage pollution into the River Windrush, said: “Thames Water has become reliant on dumping sewage and paying dividends and bonuses while the billpayer funds everything.

“The regulator’s inactivity and inertia plays a vital role in allowing this and to call it a scandal is an understatement.”

skip past newsletter promotion

after newsletter promotion

The analysis suggests discharges are taking place in breach of the permit rules for the treatment works and could be illegal. For example, according to Hammond’s analysis, Marlborough sewage treatment discharged raw sewage for 26 days into the River Kennet, a chalk stream that is a site of special scientific interest. The spills were illegal, Hammond believes, because they took place on dry days in breach of the legal permit to operate.

Thames Water said the data had to be verified by the EA and could be subject to change. “In 2024 we experienced one of the wettest years on record. Storm discharges are closely correlated with rainfall and groundwater conditions, and we therefore experienced an increase in the frequency and duration of storm discharge events during 2024,” the water company said.

“We know how much people enjoy and appreciate rivers, which is why over the next five years we will deliver a record amount of investment to address our ageing infrastructure. This is an enormous undertaking; we are responsible for the oldest and most complex infrastructure of any company in the sector.”

It added: “While all storm discharges are unacceptable, the sewage system was historically designed to prevent sewage backing up into people’s homes. Transparency is at the heart of what we do, and we were the first water company to publish a real time data map on our website, before it became legal requirement to do so.”

Hammond, a professor of computational biology at University College London, now retired, is an expert on water company raw sewage discharges. His evidence to MPs on the environmental audit committee in 2021 showed the scale of illegal raw sewage discharges by water companies was 10 times greater than the EA estimated, prompting the biggest criminal investigation by the agency into illegal spills and the parallel Ofwat investigation. Both investigations are ongoing.

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

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Western US states fail to agree on plan to manage Colorado River before federal deadline

Stakeholders have spent months ironing out disagreements over how to distribute water from the sprawling basinState negotiators embroiled in an impasse over how to manage the imperiled Colorado River were unable to agree on a plan before a federally set deadline on Tuesday, thrusting deliberations deeper into uncertain territory.Stakeholders have spent months working to iron out contentious disagreements over how to distribute water from this sprawling basin – which supplies roughly 40 million people in seven states, 5.5m acres of farmland, dozens of tribes and parts of Mexico – as the resources grow increasingly scarce. Continue reading...

State negotiators embroiled in an impasse over how to manage the imperiled Colorado River were unable to agree on a plan before a federally set deadline on Tuesday, thrusting deliberations deeper into uncertain territory.Stakeholders have spent months working to iron out contentious disagreements over how to distribute water from this sprawling basin – which supplies roughly 40 million people in seven states, 5.5m acres of farmland, dozens of tribes and parts of Mexico – as the resources grow increasingly scarce.Long-term overuse and the rising toll from the climate crisis have served as a one-two punch that’s left the system in crisis.Enough progress was made to warrant an extension, according to a joint statement issued by federal officials and representatives from the seven western states. But the discussions – and the deadline set for them – were set to an urgent timeline; current guidelines are expiring and a new finalized agreement must be put in place by October 2026, the start of the 2027 water year.Time is running short to schedule several steps required to implement a plan, including public engagement and environmental analysis. Final details are due by February 2026.“There are external factors that make this deadline real,” said Anne Castle, a water policy expert and a former chair of the Upper Colorado River Commission. “It’s unfortunate for all the water users in the Colorado River Basin that the states have been unable to come to an agreement on the next set of operating guidelines for the river.”It’s unclear whether a new deadline has been set or how discussions will proceed. If negotiators are unable to create a plan, it’s still possible the federal government will step in, an outcome experts say could lead to litigation and more delays.“The urgency for the seven Colorado River Basin states to reach a consensus agreement has never been clearer,” said Scott Cameron, the Department of the Interior’s acting assistant secretary for water and science, in a statement issued in August, along with a 24-month federal study that highlighted the dire impacts left by unprecedented drought in the basin.“The health of the Colorado River system and the livelihoods that depend on it are relying on our ability to collaborate effectively and craft forward-thinking solutions that prioritize conservation, efficiency, and resilience,” he added.But since they were tasked by federal officials in June to come up with a broad plan by 11 November, the closed-door discussions have been wrought with tension. Key questions, including specifics on the terms of a new agreement, how to measure shortages and conservation efforts, and who would bear the brunt of the badly needed cuts, have stymied consensus. Upper basin states – Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico, were pinned against the lower basin – California, Arizona, and Nevada.“They had to reach an agreement that almost by definition is going to result in hardship to some of those water users,” said Castle. “That was the crux of the problem.”Water from the mighty 1,450-mile river that snakes through the western US has been used to raise thriving cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas and turn arid desert landscapes into lush breadbaskets. Its flows grow thirsty crops, like alfalfa and hay, used as feed for livestock. Roughly 80% of the supply goes to agriculture.Overuse has totalled roughly 3.5m acre-ft a year – an amount equal to more than a quarter of the river’s annual average flow. One acre-foot, a unit of measurement denoting the amount that can cover a football field in one foot depth and is used for large quantities of water, equals roughly 326,000 gallons – enough to supply roughly three families for a year.The ecosystems on the banks of the river have paid a heavy price. Fourteen native fish species are endangered or threatened. The once-lush wetlands in Mexico’s river delta have been dry for decades. California’s Salton Sea, a saline lake fed by the river, has turned toxic by the drought.Meanwhile, spiking temperatures have baked moisture out of the basin. Shrinking mountain snowpacks offer less melt year after year as increased evaporation takes a greater share. The river has lost more than 10tn gallons of water in the last two decades alone. The two largest reservoirs are projected to reach historic lows in the next two years.“There’s not enough water to supply all the uses we have been making of it.” Castle said. She added that even without an agreement, users will still be forced to take cuts. “We know water use has to be reduced – and reduced substantially. The issue is how.”If it comes down to letting the Bureau of Reclamation decide – or worse, a judge, should the issues be litigated – Castle said the outcome will be worse for everybody. A compromise – one that comes quickly – is paramount.“They all have to hold hands to jump in the pool together.”

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Strong Winds Can Bring Gale Warnings to Communities Near Water. Here's What That Means

The strong storms and declining temperatures that come with winter can cause significant winds

Winter weather in the U.S. frequently includes storms and steeply declining temperatures. Those drastic weather changes can come with high winds, sometimes strong enough to capsize a boat, or send a rogue tree branch flying. Such conditions can translate into safety risks for people who go outside and hazardous situations that make it more dangerous to operate a boat or a car. A gale warning alert means there are high sustained winds or frequent gusts over a body of water, so they're reserved for communities near oceans, sounds or lakes.More specifically, meteorologist Patrick Saunders with the National Weather Service said the U.S. agency typically issues gale warnings whenever wind speeds are faster than 35 knots, or about 40 mph (64 km/h).Jason Furtado, associate professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, said the recipe for a gale warning can also bring windy conditions miles from water, too.“Over land, the National Weather Service typically translates that to high wind warnings,” he said.Since a gale warning is a maritime alert, Saunders said the main recommendation from the National Weather Service is for most people to stay away from the water.“Strong winds cause larger waves, which have the potential to capsize or damage vessels, especially smaller boats,” he said.Gale warnings can lead to hazardous conditions ashore, too.“It can affect trees, tree branches. Particularly in some areas, if the winds get really strong, that can affect roofs, power lines,” Furtado said. “You might see stories about trampolines going flying out of people’s backyards.”It also makes driving more dangerous because large trucks are more likely to tip over and sudden gusts can add to the challenge of navigating storm hazards such as slippery or icy roads. If there is snow on the ground, high winds can kick it up and make it more difficult to see. Wind makes the cold colder Low temperatures plus high winds translate into wind chill.“It tends to feel colder because your body creates heat, and then as the wind blows, it blows that heat away,” said Saunders.That extra chill can become dangerous to human health. Furtado said once windchill temperatures drop into negative numbers, frostbite becomes a risk.Gale warnings and high wind warnings are also dangerous because people are less likely to take them seriously than they do other types of weather. “Some people may not react as they would with a winter storm warning or a blizzard warning,” he said. “People need to pay attention to high wind warnings, and take appropriate action.”He recommends dressing warmly, securing outside decorations or plants and taking extra precautions if you have to drive.The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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Cane toads are hopping towards the Pilbara, but a water-free containment zone could stop them

Cane toads will reach Broome in the next couple of years. Creating a waterless “containment zone” is the only way to stop them pillaging the Pilbara.

It is early evening in Australia’s top end, and a hunter stalks its prey. Keenly alert, the northern quoll follows the sound of rustling in the leaf litter. It must be some kind of frog, the small carnivorous marsupial decides, and pounces. But the quoll is seized by an immediate pain in the mouth, and drops its prey. It’s already too late. The rustling was not a frog, but a poisonous cane toad. The toad’s toxin has sprayed into the quoll’s mouth and within seconds the quoll is vomiting. Within minutes it is incapacitated and spasming as its heart fails. And 20 minutes later the quoll is dead. This scene has played out countless times in the 90 years since invasive cane toads were released on the Queensland coast and hopped west to Australia’s tropical north. They were originally native to South America, and brought to Australia to control beetle pests in sugarcane. And they kill not only quolls and their kin, but other predators such as freshwater crocodiles, goannas, and snakes. What do we have to lose? The cane toad is one of Australia’s worst feral animal invaders. They have nearly completed their conquest of northern Australia and in the next couple of years they are expected to reach Broome on the west coast, and head south. Our work shows that without intervention, the destruction will continue, as toads invade Australia’s unique Pilbara region in the north of western Australia. The Pilbara is an ancient rocky landscape, with some of the oldest geology in the world. Many species are found here and nowhere else. With abundant waterholes and rivers in stunning rocky gorges, the Pilbara would be perfect habitat for cane toads. Our research outlines what will happen if toads arrive in this unique landscape. It finds that with no intervention, cane toads will likely invade a further 27 million hectares, including almost all of the Pilbara, and spread further south towards Shark Bay. A blow to animals and culture Cane toads arriving in the Pilbara would cause populations of about 25 species of reptiles and mammals to crash in numbers. These include ten species of goanna, nine small marsupial predators like the Kaluta and northern quoll, three snakes, two blue-tongue skinks and one bat. For endangered northern quolls and vulnerable ghost bats, the Pilbara is the last toad-free stronghold. Several endemic goannas, blue tongue skinks and marsupial predators will likely join the threatened species list. Many of these species are culturally important to the Traditional Owners of Country for stories, songlines and bush tucker. Toad invasion of the Northern Territory, for example, led to lost bush tucker such as goanna, crocodile, blue-tongue skink. It also meant increased reliance on store-bought food, and a loss of skills and knowledge around hunting activities where Elders spent time with younger generations. 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In the bottleneck between the Kimberley and the Pilbara, almost all permanent water sources are human made. And these create a connected watery tendril for invasion. Making these water sources inaccessible to toads by creating a “Toad Containment Zone” means toads cannot use these as stepping stones through this dry part of the country. A collective of scientists, pastoralists and Traditional Owners has proposed to create this zone by toad-proofing cattle water sources (by upgrading ground-level water sources to tanks and troughs) in a 150 kilometre long by 50 kilometre wide stretch of country. This solution would create a “toad fire-break”. The containment zone covers three times the distance that toads travel each year, so every wet season toads will infiltrate the north of the zone but as the water dries up, they will perish in the dry season. Bang for buck Effective containment would prevent toads from accessing the water-abundant Pilbara and beyond, protecting 27 million hectares of Western Australia. This is not a new idea – it’s been subject to 15 years of scientific rigour that shows preventing toads accessing water is the most effective way to stop them. It’s also one of the cheapest solutions: managing pest species after they have established is expensive and ineffective, and we are much better off preventing their spread. Judy Dunlop receives funding from Rio Tinto, BHP, Western Australia's Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, and the Skip Foundation.Ben Phillips receives funding from the Skip Foundation, the Australian Research Council, the WA Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, BHP Social Investments. Tim Dempster receives funding from the WA Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, The Hermon Slade Foundation, and the Skip Foundation.

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