How many sewage spills have happened in your part of Scotland?

More than 76,000 sewage spills were recorded after Scotland expanded monitoring at sewer overflow sites, revealing incidents that would previously have gone uncounted. The figures give a clearer picture of how often overflows discharge into waterways, while raising questions about pollution and how it is tracked.

Scottish Water added 1,009 monitors in 2024, increasing the monitored share of its network from 6% to 30%; more than 100,000 spills, lasting almost 277,000 hours, were recorded that year. The River Clyde recorded nearly 6,150 spills, while Barcloy Mill Burn had almost 3,500; Scottish Water says most spills were not harmful, and only just under 12% of overflows must report data to regulator Sepa.