WATER COMPANIES DUMPED RAW SEWAGE 380,000 TIMES IN 2025 – AS GMB CONGRESS CALLS FOR WORKER SEAT ON NEW SUPER REGULATOR
Private water companies in England and Wales dumped sewage into the UK’s waterways more than 383,000 times in 2025 – as GMB calls for workers to have a seat on the new super regulator.
The spills – which are recorded by the Environment Agency – pumped out raw, untreated sewage for a total of 2,635,198 hours. [see notes for break down by water company]
Earlier this year, the Government announced Ofwat would be scrapped and a new ‘super regulator’ would take its place.
GMB’s annual congress in Blackpool will today [Monday] discuss the figures and move a motion calling for ‘a permanent worker seat on the board to safeguard from future failures.’
Feargal Sharkey – Undertones frontman and water campaigner – will address the conference floor to help move the motion.
Feargal Sharkey told GMB Conference:
“The brutal reality is as employees, bill payers, as customers, we have been lied to, we’ve been misled, we’re being extorted, we’ve been cheated.
“For 37 years, we’ve been subjected to nothing more than the greatest act of organised criminality perpetrated against the British people.
“We’ve had little in return apart from corporate greed, profiteering, financial engineering, political failure and regulatory incompetence.
“In short, we’ve been had.
“In reality, this Thatcherite theme park has delivered nothing but pain, sorrow and anger.
