Recent figures from the Environment Agency have laid bare the escalating issue of sewage spills in Somerset, casting a shadow over the region's rivers and coastlines.

Despite earlier assurances of substantial investment to address the problem, data shows that many areas have seen an increase in sewage discharges, underscoring a dire need for effective solutions.

The 2023 sewage overflow report for the Wells constituency reveals significant environmental challenges, with Wessex Water's facilities reporting varied durations of sewage discharge across numerous sites. Notably, the Wookey Water Recycling Centre stands out with the highest reported overflow duration, totalling 3,696 hours, closely monitored at a 99.9% reporting rate, indicating nearly continuous operation due to sewage overflow throughout the year.

Similarly, the Shepton Mallet Wastewater Treatment Works and the Meare Wastewater Treatment Works also reported substantial overflow durations of 1,943 and 1,344 hours, respectively, each with 100% reporting accuracy.

These figures highlight ongoing issues with sewage management in areas adjacent to the River Sheppey and River Brue, raising concerns over water quality and environmental health.

The Glastonbury Water Recycling Centre and Pilton Water Recycling Centre, serving the Glastonbury Mill Stream and Whitelake areas, reported overflow durations of 1,267 and 1,220 hours with full reporting.

The inclusion of locations such as the Draycott and Rodney Stoke Sewage Treatment Works and the Cheddar Wastewater Treatment Works, with overflows running for over 1,200 hours, underscores the widespread nature of this issue.

Moreover, sites like the Chilcompton Wastewater Treatment Works and Cliff Street/Redcliffe Street Combined Sewer Overflows indicate a pressing issue with overflows affecting the Somer Stream and Cheddar Yeo, with durations reported at 518 and 477 hours. This pattern of extensive sewage discharge is echoed across multiple locations, including the Mill Lane Pumping Station and Wells Sewage Treatment Works, further emphasising the challenge faced by the region's waterways.

The impact of such extensive sewage discharges—equating to "the equivalent of 123 days non-stop" in places like Wookey—profoundly affects the natural environment and community well-being. This is particularly troubling for the River Axe and the Somerset Levels, which have been adversely affected by the resulting pollution.

Wessex Water, Somerset's water management authority, attributed the increase in discharges to the previous year's exceptionally wet weather and said that ongoing investments are being made to upgrade the system.

A spokesperson for the company stated: "Storm overflow discharges increased last year due to exceptionally wet weather, preventing properties from flooding. Hundreds of these overflows are affected by groundwater, with tests showing these discharges are cleaner than the standards set for treated sewage discharges.

"While overflows are licensed to operate automatically, we agree they aren't fit for purpose in a 21st-century sewerage system and are currently spending £3 million a month to progressively improve them—with plans to more than double that investment if approved by our regulators."

Mark Lloyd, CEO of The Rivers Trust, commented on the necessity of addressing the issue comprehensively: "The latest figures on sewage discharges mean another distressing news day for our rivers and seas. This is just one source of pollution we can identify and rectify - and we must - because this effluent is making our rivers and our people sick.

"We must make good decisions to solve this problem, looking for integrated solutions that tackle the sewage problem along with other sources of pollution, and deliver more benefits to society too. That means working with nature as much as possible and not relying exclusively on expensive, carbon-hungry measures which transfer a large cost onto customers.

"The water industry has pledged £10.1bn in England over the next five years to tackle this problem alone. Now we desperately need the government to play their part and approve that spending, to hold water companies to account, and to ensure that decisions are made for long-term environmental and societal benefit - sticking plaster solutions for short-term gains are not the right approach."