River sewage spills rate 'intolerable'

CAMPAIGNERS SAY IRWELL AMONG WORST IN UK BUT WATER CHIEFS CLAIM PROGRESS

- by CHRIS GEE

A RIVER near Bury has been branded one of the country's 'worst sewage dumping grounds' by campaigners.

This week, a public meeting will be held by Bury Trades Council about local rivers, the privatised water industry, infrastructure and sewage.

The group claim the combined sewer overflow at Sion Street in Radcliffe was responsible for more sewage spills than any other location on the River Irwell in 2023. It is claimed that at nearly 2,200 hours, this was the equivalent of three months' of continuous sewage spills.

United Utilities, who manage water and sewer infrastructure in the region, said that the situation is improving on river emissions and they had invested more than £400m between 2020 and 2025 across the Irwell catchment.

They said that at Sion Street, spills reduced to 844 hours in 2024.