Blog
A simple solution to stopping raw sewage pollution
10 December 2024
Barry Turner
Technical Manager - Castings
The UK operates combined sewage systems, where rainwater and sewage flow through the same pipes. During heavy rainfall, treatment works can become overwhelmed, leading to sewage being discharged into waterways to prevent system backups. On average, there were 1,271 spills per day across England in 2023, a significant increase from 825 daily spills in 2022.
This results in devastating environmental damage and is an issue that still demands urgent attention after years of water company criticism. Fortunately, there is a cost-effective, long-lasting, simple and sustainable solution to the problem, as Barry Turner, technical manager at Wrekin Products, explains.
Latest data from the Environment Agency reveals that sewage discharges into England's lakes, rivers, and seas by water companies more than doubled in 2023. The Environment Agency reported 3.6 million hours of spills during the year, up from 1.75 million hours in 2022. Water UK, representing sewerage companies, described the situation as "unacceptable" but attributed the record figures to heavy rainfall and improved data collection. However, the Environment Agency maintained that increased rainfall does not exempt water companies from their legal obligation to manage storm overflows properly. With this latest data, environmentalists have warned that sewage-contaminated water has a disastrous impact, killing fish and other wildlife. It is also harmful to human health, potentially causing infections such as gastrointestinal illness and Weil’s disease. Allowing our waterways to become polluted carries very heavy financial penalties. Water companies have been taken to court by the Environment Agency and handed huge fines in recent years, while new cases continually emerge. SEWAGE DISCHARGE MONITORINGNations are legally obligated to ensure that sewage is treated before it is pumped into rivers and seas. Untreated human waste can only flow into waterways in exceptional circumstances, such as after unusually heavy rain. By law, water companies must monitor sewage discharges and report them to the Environment Agency so it can see exactly what is going on and where improvements and investments are most needed. England’s sewerage network has seen an increase in monitoring and improvement schemes during recent years. Storm overflow spills are measured by event duration monitors, and 100% of storm overflows across the water network are now fitted with these, meeting the government target to do so by the end of 2023. With just 7% of storm overflows equipped with a monitor in 2010, England is now a world leader in the number of storm overflows monitored. Top blogsFINDING A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMOne of the main reasons raw sewage is discharged into our waterways is overflowing manhole covers. Sadly, these incidents show only too starkly the catastrophic impact environmental pollution has on our waterways, our wildlife and our riverside communities. There is, however, preventative action water utility companies can take to stop foul drains from leaking and overflowing into storm drains in the first place. Our Unite manhole covers can come with the ideal solution to stopping foul drain leakage and overflow. When it comes to conventional seal plates, they have to be factory-fitted, meaning the opportunity is lost if it’s not ordered with its respective manhole cover. However, if water companies already have Unite manhole covers in place, they can retrofit a seal plate after installation – a huge time and cost advantage as it avoids the need for a complete replacement programme. Wrekin’s seal plates are available as either WRc Leak Class 2 low leak, or WRc Leak Class 3 no leak configurations. Alternatively, utility companies have the option of replacing their entire manhole cover network for Unite models, with their retro-fit Seal Plate option, if they don’t currently have them. Ideally suited to the needs of the water utilities sector, the Unite range has been developed to include design features that combine to give the longest life, and therefore the lowest whole life cost, of any D400 access cover on the market. It has also been created to be the most durable cover in its class by limiting cover flexing and therefore seating wear. Wrekin has also designed Unite to work sympathetically with bedding mortars, thereby reducing stresses on the frame foundation – identified as a major cause of manhole cover failure. The Unite covers also incorporate additional features to solve specific issues facing local authorities. Essentially four products in one, it is also the first manhole cover on the market that has a retrofittable ID badge. Most important of all for water companies, it offers the ability for seal plates to be fitted at a later date. 
Promoting responsibility with Britain's waterwaysThe Sea Starts HereWe're promoting awareness of a simple but important issue on our most popular Tristar D400 gully gratings. Did you know that waste disposed of down gullies, whether at a roadside or pedestrianised area, can end up in the watercourse. This includes rivers, brooks, becks, ditches, leats and culverts. Ultimately, it has the potential to reach the sea, meaning the sea often really does start here. In collaboration with a long-standing house building client, we've taken the notable step to include "The Sea Starts Here" as a message on our highest selling Tristar gully gratings. The message serves as a poignant reminder that our actions on land reverberate to our oceans. Tackling the problemThe Environment Agency has said the volume of sewage being discharged into our waters is unacceptable and they are taking action to make sure polluters are held to account. With the decrease in spills in 2022 largely down to dry weather, not water company action, the Environment Agency is working to make sure overflows are correctly controlled to stop the terrible damage raw sewage inflicts on the environment. Comprehensive monitoring – up from just 7% in 2010 to the most extensive level ever now being at 91% – is one important step but strict targets on water companies to reduce sewage discharges require them to deliver the largest infrastructure programme in their history. This will be an estimated £56 billion in capital investment over the next 25 years, suggesting there will be a priority to address serious infrastructure issues such as ineffective drain covers. Related products
Latest news and blogs |
