The sewerage network in our country regularly discharges treated sewage as well as overflows of untreated sewage and storm water into our rivers. Collectively, there were 384,568 spills from the discharge points last year for a combined total of over 2.3 million hours, according to data from the Environment Agency.
The most active sewage discharge point in England and Wales pumped waste into a river for the equivalent of 325 days straight last year. The sewage overflow point at Station Row Cso Pontyrhyl Bridgend discharged 340 times for a combined total of 7,805 hours in 2022.
Bettws Road Cso Llangeinor, also in Bridgend, discharged 350 times for a total of 7,785 hours. That's the equivalent of 324 days straight and is the next highest total. Workington’s Plumbland Wwtw discharge point was the next most active at 6,896 hours (287 days).
That’s followed by Whissendine in Rutland (6,646 hours, or 277 days), St Paul's Road in Wirral (5,582 hours, or 233 days), Lune Street Pumping Station in Lancaster (5,336 hours, or 222 days), and Kirk Bampton Wwtw in Allerdale (5,124 hours, or 214 days).
You can find the discharge points near you along with how many hours they were used in 2022 using our interactive map. Either scroll around to explore or type in your postcode to zoom into your area:
