Regulators urged to act over water companies’ record sewage discharge

Government asked to put ‘people and planet before profits’ as analysis shows potential illegal discharging of raw sewage

• How polluted is your local river and which regions are worst hit?

Regulators face pressure to act after evidence of potentially illegal activity by water companies has been revealed.

Analysis of the latest data shows that more than 2,000 overflows owned by a number of companies are discharging raw sewage into rivers and seas at a scale that should spark an immediate investigation into illegal breaches of permit conditions.