Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many recorded sewage discharge incidents into (a) the river Thames and (b) any other waterways in Essex that have occurred in each of the last five years; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce such incidents.

The Environment Agency (EA) received 635 reports of sewage pollution in Essex and 330 reports for the River Thames originating from water companies and private sewage treatment facilities in the last five years.

The EA has strengthened its regulation of the water industry by recruiting additional specialist officers and has increased inspections of water company wastewater assets. The EA is on track to deliver 10,000 inspections nationally this year. Since April 2025, over 2,400 inspections have been completed across Thames Water and Anglian Water assets.

Any permit breaches identified are assessed and serious permit breaches investigated and enforced against in line with the EA’s Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.