Investing to reduce the impact of storm overflows
Since 2000, we have invested £181 million upgrading more than 582 storm overflows.
From 2020 to 2025, we are spending £150 million on storm overflows to reduce their impact on the environment.
We estimate that these investments will reduce the number of hours storm overflows operate for by approximately 25% by 2025.
Our storm overflows improvement plan
Our plan sets out how we aim to address storm overflows over the next three years. In summary, we are taking the following actions:
- carrying out 54 investigations into storm overflows that spill most frequently or have an environmental impact (between 2020 and 2025)
- completing 13 improvement projects in Bath, Bristol, Dorset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
- making sewage treatment upgrades at 42 water recycling centres to increase capacity, introducing more nature-based and low-carbon methods
- increasing environmental and public health monitoring at key locations
- using artificial intelligence to manage our sewer network and provide real-time bathing water information.
Improvement projects