Raw Sewage in our Rivers
Sewage is discharged into rivers across the UK and Ireland on a daily basis. This isn’t an isolated problem; it occurs up and down the country, affecting urban city centre rivers and pristine chalk streams alike. Our Sewage Map will help you find out where this happens.
We want to help you find out where sewage is discharged into rivers, enabling you to take action and to make informed decisions about where you swim, paddle, catch and play. Our Sewage Map below shows where the sewerage network discharges and overflows into rivers. Be warned: you might not like what you discover!
We have now updated our Sewage Map to include the latest 2021 data.
Is there sewage in your local river?
This button will open a full screen version of the Sewage Map, as well as a whole host of information on sewage pollution.
At The Rivers Trust, we believe that people should be able to swim, paddle, catch and play without worrying about sewage pollution. That’s why we launched Together for Rivers: an ambitious campaign which hopes to see designated bathing waters introduced to well-used rivers in the UK.
Our hopes of bathing water status in rivers aren’t all that outlandish, either; campaigners at Ilkley have succeeded in securing bathing water status for their local river – a first in England. With enough support, we believe more and more rivers could be given bathing water status, helping to improve rivers for people and wildlife.
Until cleaner rivers become a reality, we will continue to fight for public access to data on sewage pollution. That’s why we created our Sewage Map, which gives details on the location and spill duration of CSOs across England and Wales.
Stumped by sewage?
We know that there's a lot of information to digest about sewage. Get answers to some of the most common questions about sewage in our Sewage Q&A.
Report an environmental incident
While you’re out, if you spot a pollution incident, any illegal activity or anything else, please report it immediately to the authorities.
These hotlines are open 24 hours a day:
England, Scotland and Northern Ireland: 0800 80 70 60
Wales: Natural Resources Wales hotline: 0300 065 3000
Ireland: EPA Headquarters: 053 916 0600 / Lo-Call Number: 1890 33 55 99*