England’s water firms should pay to fix illegal discharges, high court to hear

A sign on the beach in Scarborough warning people not to swim in the sea because of sewage being discharged into the sea. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian

Water companies must pay to fix illegal sewage discharges rather than pass the cost to customers, lawyers for the charity WildFish are to argue in the high court.

The campaign group will allege at a judicial review that the government’s £56bn plan to reduce raw sewage dumping from storm overflows is illegal.