'Kicking Illegal Sewage Discharges Into the Long Grass'

Intense public pressure has forced the underfunded Environmental Agency (EA), to look for evidence that English Water Companies are illegally pumping raw sewage into rivers and seas. At the moment, the Water Companies have been only permited to discharge sewage when flooding occurs. Some companies appear to have been fast and loose in their search for profits. This investigation will, however, involve monitoring more than 2000 treatment plants (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/22/uk-legal-group-warns-of-information-blackout-on-sewage-discharges). The pressure group Fish Legal have warned that, in their past experience, the EA will refuse to disclose any information, once an investigation starts. The EA will claim that they cannot risk damaging potential court cases. Environmental Information Requests could consequently be blocked for years. This would make it impossible to monitor the effects of sewage discharges on wildlife and water quality.