New figures show sewage was released into rivers, lakes and the sea around Wales for more than 800,000 hours last year. The charity Surfers Against Sewage, which has analysed data from Wales' water companies, said there were more than 100,000 sewage discharges in 2025 - or one every five minutes. The figures are down on the year before when sewage was discharged for more than 970,000 hours.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it had strengthened its approach as regulators through increased monitoring and tighter guidance, and had overseen "significant programmes of environmental investment" by water companies. Surfers Against Sewage said part of the reason for the drop was the dry weather seen during the summer last year, but underinvestment and a lack of enforcement remained an issue. In its annual assessment, it said since 2019 it had received 992 reports of sickness in Wales caused by sewage, with 215 of those coming in 2025.
It said the impact of those sickness reports led to more than 2,200 days off work. According to the charity, sewage was discharged into Wales' designated bathing waters for a total of 35,669 hours over the year. At Llyn Padarn, Gwynedd, despite the lake's designated bathing water being classified as "excellent" for water quality, discharges lasted 1,614 hours.
Rules allow a limited discharge of sewage in periods of excess rain, but environmental groups remain concerned the levels pose a threat to wildlife and a health risk to swimmers. Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, said last year's figures equated to a discharge every five minutes, which he called a "shocking statistic". He pointed to 90 places that authorities have said are good places to swim, but said they'd "been impacted by over 4,000 hours of sewage pollution".
"It's a really terrible picture that we're seeing of continued underinvestment and a lack of enforcement to ensure that this isn't happening," he added. "People's lives and their health are being put at risk when they go to enjoy these amazing places." Welsh Water said it will invest a record £2.5bn over the next four years, and understood the concerns about sewage discharge. "We take our responsibility to protect these waters seriously and recognise that we need to improve," it said.
"In line with Welsh government policy, we are prioritising the overflows causing the greatest environmental harm." Hafren Dyfrdwy - which operates in mid and north-east Wales - said it was "working tirelessly" to reduce the average number of spills but "we know more needs to be done". "Which is why we're investing £11m at our storm overflows to reduce spills to fewer than 20 a year by 2030," it added. The Welsh government said it was "taking full control of water in Wales" and would "apply the polluter-pays principle, including prosecuting serious and persistent offenders".
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