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26
Mar
Big fall in sewage discharges in Rivers Nidd and Ure
The number of times sewage was dumped in local rivers fell sharply in 2025, according to figures released today (March 26).
Yorkshire Water discharged sewage into the region's rivers for 285,230 hours during the year — 33.7% down on last year.
The company spilled sewage into the River Nidd from multiple points for 3,981 hours — a big decrease on 8,893 hours in 2024.
The duration of discharges into the River Ure from sites in Ripon, Masham and Sharow fell from 1,665 hours in 2024 to 643 hours in 2025.
According to the Environment Agency, which published the figures for all water companies today, the decrease is partly due to the unusually dry weather.
Yorkshire experienced its driest spring for 132 years, which led to a hosepipe ban.
The total number of Yorkshire Water discharges into watercourses fell from 68,164 to 51,404.
Richard Stuart, director of asset delivery at the company, said the overall reduction in spills was down to investment in storm overflows.
He said:
Some of the work as part of this investment was completed in early 2025, so we are yet to see the full benefit during an entire 12-month period, but we are seeing the investment beginning to make an impact. Of course, there is more to do and we’re underway with a further £1.5bn investment to continue tackling the performance of storm overflows.
'Still incredibly high'
David Claydon, chair of the Nidd Action Group, said the figures were "good news" but urged caution:
Any reduction is welcome, but we must be cautious as we did have a significant drought last year and the numbers of spills and their durations are still incredibly high.
The Environment Agency said discharges into rivers across England had also fallen compared with 2024.
Figures published today show there were 291,492 spill events in 2025, a 35% reduction on the previous year.
Allan Lovell, chair of the Environment Agency, said:
Publishing this data each year ensures the public can see clearly what is happening across England’s storm overflows.
While these numbers are heavily influenced by rainfall levels in 2025, substantial reductions in spill duration and events are a clear win for people and the environment.
It is vital that improvements to the sewage system are sustained over the long term, and the Environment Agency will continue to hold water companies to account where performance falls short.
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