Anglian Water passed thousands of pollution tests at sewage plants that weren’t carried out
Anglian Water passed thousands of pollution tests at sewage plants that weren’t carried out
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Analysis by campaign group finds utility company had highest rate of ‘no-flow’ samples of any water and sewerage firm in 2024. The water firm Anglian Water passed thousands of pollution tests at its sewage plants that were never carried out. Operational data reveals how more than 6,000 pollution tests from 2015 to 2024 could not be carried out under a controversial self-monitoring regime because it was reported there was no outflow of treated sewage from the plants.
In some cases the flows from the sewage plants stopped for just an hour or two, meaning samples could not be taken. But despite no test being carried out, the sewage plants could be reported under the guidelines as complying with environmental permits.
An analysis by Peter Hammond, from the campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (Wasp), has found Anglian Water had the highest number of “no-flow” samples of any water and sewerage company in England and Wales over the decade. In 2024, the water company reported 496 “no-flows”, or 5.9% of all samples, according to the Wasp analysis. Hammond said the Environment Agency had not properly audited the reasons for no-flows. “Anglian Water needs to explain why there has been a drop in the flow of treated sewage in these cases when someone has come to take a sample, when there have been no similar drops a few days before or a few days after,” he said.
Anglian Water officials say they investigated instances of no-flows raised last week by the Observer and said there were legitimate reasons for the lack of flow of treated sewage. Testers operate independently of sewage plant operational teams, with the sampling regime independently audited, says the company.
