However, they are not meant to happen on dry days, when the risk to swimmers and wildlife is greater because the pollution is not diluted by rainwater.<\/p>\n
Companies have previously cast doubt on independent attempts<\/a> to gauge the extent of such \u201cdry day spills\u201d, which experts said were likely to mostly be in breach of permits and illegal, with a few exceptions.<\/p>\n The previous best estimate was about 6,000 dry day spills in a year<\/a>. However, the data shared with the Times shows that number in just two months.<\/p>\n \u201cThe massively high numbers of untreated sewage spills on days when we haven\u2019t had exceptional rainfall is the canary in the mine \u2014 clear evidence that our sewage infrastructure and capacity has not kept pace with population growth, development and climate change over the last decades,\u201d said Michelle Walker, the technical director of the Rivers Trust, a charity. <\/p>\n The Times, which obtained the data using transparency laws, can disclose there were 6,177 dry day spills by nine water companies across January and February. Anglian Water reported 1,347 dry day spills, followed by South West Water on 1,306 and Thames Water on 1,063. Northumbrian had the lowest figure, with 210.<\/p>\n The figures have come to light because since January the Environment Agency (EA) has required water firms to report dry day spills. It now classifies them as pollution incidents.<\/p>\n Much of Britain\u2019s sewer system is based on the model chosen in the 19th century, of combining rainwater and sewage in the same pipes. During heavy rainfall, storm overflows can by design be used to stop sewage backing up into homes and businesses.<\/p>\n However, dry spills should not happen. Observers said the high frequency of day spills uncovered by The Times suggested companies had failed to keep sewers clear and had not invested enough in infrastructure to keep pace with population growth.<\/p>\n A dry day is defined by the EA as having no rainfall above 0.25mm on the day and the 24 hours beforehand. \u201cStorm overflows should not spill on dry days,\u201d the regulator has said.<\/p>\n The new figures are important because they are sourced directly from the water firms. Some companies have contested past efforts by the BBC to infer how many dry spills there were by cross-referencing stop-start times of sewage spills<\/a> with weather data, claiming the methodology was flawed.<\/p>\n The agency is in the process of establishing how many of the 6,000-plus discharges were illegal. The regulator has said dry day spills could lead to prosecutions, written warnings and financial penalties for companies.<\/p>\n Protesters gather on the beach in Brighton earlier this year to complain about sewage pollution<\/p>\n VUK VALCIC\/ALAMY LIVE NEWS<\/p>\n Alex Ford, a professor of biology at the University of Portsmouth, said the EA was likely to find a high level of illegality. \u201cMost, if they occurred during dry spells, are illegal. They would still be potentially illegal if they were caused by delayed rising water tables and seepage into cracked pipes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Experts said dry day spills were typically more devastating for people and the environment<\/a> than those during exceptional rainfall. <\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely, dry weather spills are worse because of the lack of dilution in the river \u2014 so any pollutants or infectious pathogens will be more concentrated if someone were to swallow some of the water,\u201d said Barbara Evans, a professor of public health engineering at the University of Leeds. <\/p>\n \u201cIn dry weather people may be using the rivers and beaches more, so there are more people who may then be exposed to the pollutants,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n Most of the dry day spills are understood to be classed by the EA as category three pollution incidents, where one is the most severe and four the least. The reasons why dry day spills can occur include under-investment in pipes and treatment plants, blockages in sewers and groundwater infiltrating into pipes via cracks and other routes. <\/p>\n Some of the spills this year could have happened without permits being breached. For example, in a large catchment water may fall in one place and take more than a day to drain down to another area where the spill occurs.<\/p>\n However, campaigners said the scale was unacceptable. Giles Bristow, the chief executive of the charity Surfers Against Sewage, which uncovered early evidence of dry spills in 2022<\/a>, said of the 6,177 spills: \u201cIt\u2019s outrageous, unlawful, and a damning indictment of a water industry broken beyond repair.\u201d<\/p>\n The group\u2019s provisional data shows a total of 206,529 raw sewage spills during January and February, most of which will have been legally permitted. \u201cIt\u2019s bad enough having to think twice on taking a dip after rain \u2014 to do so in dry weather is just downright ludicrous,\u201d said Bristow.<\/p>\n![\"Protesters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\/4b9ac77c-d83f-41a8-b5bc-fa731a825aac.jpg\")
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