Suspected illegal discharges of raw sewage into England's rivers and seas during dry weather have risen sharply in 2026, according to Environment Agency data obtained via freedom of information requests, despite regulators' promises of tougher enforcement. Such discharges are illegal because dry-weather sewage releases are more toxic, as rivers have less flow and no rainwater to dilute the pollution, and combined sewer overflows are meant to be used only during extreme weather rather than routinely.

Water companies recorded 7,280 suspected illegal dry-weather spills between January and May 2026 alone, compared with 8,576 for the whole of 2025, suggesting a significant acceleration. South West Water discharged sewage on dry days 1,299 times in the first five months of 2026, versus 2,451 for all of 2025, and separately faced criticism after almost 300 hours of combined discharges in one week of August following a six-week drought. Whistleblower Robert Forrester, a former Environment Agency officer of over 20 years, said the pattern suggests companies are deliberately dumping sewage regardless of weather or environmental risk, while a Liberal Democrat councillor in Devon said the firm appeared to be using storm overflow systems despite there being no storms. The water industry disputed the figures as unverified.