Overview

• England recorded 2,487 water pollution incidents in 2024, the highest in a decade and over double the Environment Agency's target limit.
• Sewage discharges in England lasted for a record 3.61 million hours in 2024, while under-monitoring in Scotland suggests far higher pollution levels than reported.
• Health impacts are escalating, with 1,853 sickness reports linked to sewage pollution in 2024, including severe cases requiring hospitalization and even heart surgery.
• Water bills across England and Wales are set to rise by up to 47% to fund infrastructure improvements, despite ongoing pollution and shareholder payouts of £1.2 billion last year.
• Critics are intensifying demands for radical reform of the privatized water management system, citing its failure to prioritize environmental and public health.