Response to the launch of WaterUK National Storm Overflows Hub:

"The National Storm Overflows Hub is a positive step forward in transparency and ease of access to live data about untreated sewage discharges into our rivers and waterways. Having all of this data available in a consistent format not only keeps river users better informed about where and when sewage is discharging at any given moment, it also means that those of us who develop and publish maps and apps can seamlessly use and analyse that data. We will be incorporating this live data into our Sewage Map in the coming weeks, so people can view the most recent data alongside previous annual summaries.

"We would love to see Wales, Scotland, NI and Ireland follow suit to provide consistent data services across the whole of the UK and Ireland.

"Whilst we are pleased to see the Hub go live, there is still more to do. We need water companies to start monitoring and sharing information about the volume and quality of untreated sewage being discharged to understand the impacts on river ecosystems and the risks to human health.

"We urgently need a smart monitoring system for our river catchments, which combines data from the best available technology (like real time water quality sensors, satellite remote sensing, AI and machine learning models), with community citizen science data, to better understand the impacts of the many other sources of pollution including treated sewage, agricultural pollution, urban and road runoff.

"We would love to see Wales, Scotland, NI and Ireland follow suit to provide consistent, high-quality data services across the whole of the UK and Ireland."

Michelle Walker, Technical Director