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86% Raw Sewage Spills Occur in Dry Weather, Report Says

7/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Prof Peter Hammond’s analysis found 86% of raw-sewage spills occurred in normal weather, indicating possible illegality.
He examined over 350 outlets across nine water companies serving 30 million people, and the best-performing company still showed an illegality rate above 70%.
The 2024 Office for Environmental Protection report said the Environment Agency failed to apply the law, prompting water firms to reject the findings and argue that “heavy rain” definitions differ.

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Story summary

Prof Peter Hammond’s analysis found 86% of raw-sewage spills occurred in normal weather, indicating possible illegality.
He examined over 350 outlets across nine water companies serving 30 million people, and the best-performing company still showed an illegality rate above 70%.
The 2024 Office for Environmental Protection report said the Environment Agency failed to apply the law, prompting water firms to reject the findings and argue that “heavy rain” definitions differ.