
Cheshire rivers and waterways were hit by 9,215 sewage spills for a combined total of 40,816 hours last year, latest figures show.
According to data from the Environment Agency, the most active sewage discharge point in the county was at the Hale Storm Tanks and Pumping Station on the River Bollin. There were 120 spills there in 2022, running for a total of 2,879 hours – the equivalent of 120 days straight.
The next most active spillage point in Cheshire was at Warrington South wastewater treatment works (WWTW) on the Manchester Ship Canal. The 136 spills ran for a combined 2,734 hours, which is equivalent to 114 days straight.
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A discharge point at Pennington Lane in Warrington had the next longest run time at 1,126 hours, or 47 days. That’s followed by Widnes WWTW at 1,146 hours, Runcorn Road at 1,144 hours, Alderley Edge WWTW at 1,109 hours, and Wilmslow sewage treatment works at 1,046 hours.
You can find all the county’s 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.
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 discharge points across the UK last year for a combined total of over 2.3 million hours.
United Utilities, responsible for water supply and waste water services across the North West, says storm overflow operation has been reduced by 40 per cent since 2020, but plans to tackle the issue further through a planned £3 billion programme of work across the region.
Tessa Wardley, Director of Communications & Advocacy at the Rivers Trust, says it is “absolutely vital” the public knows where the most active spillage points are in order to put pressure on those who can make “direct improvements”. She explained: “Sewage pollution in our rivers has gone unchecked for too long, but we know now that raising awareness and increasing public pressure has forced government, regulators, and water companies to change course.
“For the public to know where their worst performing outfalls are is absolutely vital in keeping that pressure on those in power to direct improvements to the right places to do what’s best for the environment, wildlife, and people.”
A United Utilities spokesperson said: “We have already reduced storm overflow operation by 40 per cent since 2020 but we know there is more to do and we are planning a £3 billion programme of work across the North West to tackle the issue. We have been granted approval to fast track £1.5 billion of environmental improvements over the next two years.”
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