Sewage overflows in national parks an 'outrage'

Sewage is pouring into the rivers inside national parks at twice the rate that is occurring outside the protected areas, it can be revealed.

- Damian Carrington Environment editor

Campaigners described the situation as "outrageous" and said rivers and lakes in national parks in England and Wales should be the cleanest and most protected in the country.

There are 464 water company overflow sites inside national parks and the average duration of sewage spills for each site in 2024 was 549 hours - the equivalent of eight hours a day for two months. In total, there were 254,808 hours of sewage outflows in national parks last year.

A report by the Campaign for National Parks (CNP) and the Rivers Trust also found that more than half of the rivers in national parks failed to meet the good ecological status required by law. Slurry and fertiliser runoff from farms, and toxic pesticides contributed to their ailing state. The national parks worst affected by sewage overflows were Dartmoor, the South Downs, the Broads and Eryri, also known as Snowdonia.

As well as rivers, national parks contain renowned wetlands and sensitive chalk streams, and host wildlife including salmon, beavers, water voles, bitterns and eels.