The Risks of Sewage Pumping Into Our Waterways

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Sewage contains nutrients from our food like nitrogen and phosphates. These, when released into our waterways, build up. And they cause some things to grow like algi. When you get a thick growth of algy on top of the water, it shields them from the light. They can't dephoto synthesis, and they end up dying off. So you end up with a river that's just full of algi.

Holidaymakers heading to British beaches and rivers were faced with a very unpleasant problem this summer – raw sewage. The sewage system usually carries rainwater and dirty wastewater from bathrooms and kitchens to treatment works but during ‘exceptional events’ such as heavy rainfall, when it is likely to be overwhelmed, raw sewage can be diverted and discharged into rivers and seas. Available data shows that in 2021, water companies released untreated sewage into waterways for 2.7m hours – with many discharge pipe monitors not working or left uninstalled. Madeleine Finlay speaks to reporter Helena Horton about why this is happening, and the damage it is doing to the environment, our health, and the UK’s seafood industry. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod