Two rivers which flow through Greater Manchester had the most amount of sewage spills in England last year, data appears to show. The Croal and Irwell had sewage discharged into them nearly 12,000 times in 2023, which works out at 95 spills per mile of water, according to Environment Agency figures analysed by The Guardian. This was measured by the number of overflows due to exceptional weather such as storms, leading to sewage spilling into rivers. The Irwell is a popular spot for aqua sports and boat races in some areas of the region, and flows through Manchester city centre and Salford, marking the boundary between the two cities. The Environment Agency told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the increase in sewage spills was disappointing, but it’s not a problem that can be solved overnight. It said 100 per cent of storm overflows in England are monitored and that it is in a good position to be able to hold water companies to account over the issue. Salford Quays councillor Paul Heilbron said the problem has left the River Irwell in a ‘desperate’ state. He added: “It is an outrage that the residents and businesses of Salford Quays that enjoy and use the water have to swim in filth and pollution. Residents have to swim, kayak, and paddle board in sewage, it is disgraceful that this has been allowed to happen. “The River Irwell on land and in the water is in a desperate state of affairs.” A Salford council spokesperson said that its watersports centre in the Quays is “clean and safe to do activities in”, and that the water quality is monitored and managed to maintain the “highest possible levels of environmental quality.” The town hall stressed that water sports in the Quays happen in different basins which are not open to the tidal flow of the Manchester Ship Canal, and the water is treated to enable activities to take place. Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey said the situation has become a ‘national scandal’. She told the LDRS: “It will take more than toothless regulation to fix the problem. “The fact is privatisation of water has been a complete disaster and the decades since water was privatised, bills have increased dramatically and water companies have been repeatedly castigated for prioritising dividend extraction over investment in critical infrastructure. “Water must be run for the public good not private profit.” United Utilities – a company providing water and wastewater services in the North West – admitted to having problems with storm overflows last year, after one of the ‘wettest years on record’ in the north west. The company said it understands the concerns and is working to improve the situation. Mark Garth, wastewater services director at the firm, said: “Whilst the current system is designed to activate during rainfall, I understand and share people’s concerns and the need for change and that’s why we are proposing a £3bn programme to tackle storm overflows in the North West between 2025 and 2030. “For the first time, we are now monitoring all 2,264 storm overflows in the north west, giving us the best visibility of their performance we have ever had. “This data is crucial as we prioritise our record investment plans over the coming years to transform how the region’s sewerage system operates.” The River Irwell joins the Manchester Ship Canal at Salford Quays, where waterfronts are one of the main attractions for visitors and residents. The area is one of Greater Manchester’s most desirable places to live and work, and is set to be developed further in the coming years, with thousands of new homes and offices planned. Liz McCoy has lived in Salford for 30 years and is standing to become a Labour councillor in the Quays. She said Ofwat – the body responsible for regulating the privatised water and sewerage industry – isn’t doing enough to stop sewage spills into rivers. She added: “The fact that any raw sewage is dumped in our waters should shock us all. “Government underfunding of the Environment Agency means it can’t monitor the action of companies like United Utilities as it should. Ofwat, the company’s regulator, is a toothless body which doesn’t regulate. “The number of prosecutions has dropped down but what has kept up is the dividends paid out. That money should be used to invest in water infrastructure to prevent this from happening again.” Ofwat admitted the situation is ‘simply not good enough’. A spokesperson added: “Companies must take urgent action to cut sewage discharges and we have brought in new measures to penalise companies that fail to fully monitor their storm overflows. “We also have new powers to take action against companies that pay out unearned dividends and can now stop customers paying for inappropriate bonuses. “Over the last few years, we have imposed penalties of over £250 million and we are currently running our biggest ever investigation into six companies on sewage spills.” A Salford council spokesperson added: “Salford City Council declared a climate emergency in July 2019. And we have a five year climate action plan and are working to become carbon neutral by 2038. “It is important to note that five rivers drain into Salford Quays. This means that natural and other debris is washed downstream, particularly after storms and heavy rain. “Ownership of the waterways at Salford Quays is split between the council, the Peel Group and private owners and we clear any debris and litter in our waters as soon as possible.”
