Sewage discharges are the release of raw, untreated sewage into waterbodies, such as rivers. These discharges often take place through the operation of storm overflow valves. These are designed to release water from the sewer network when the volume of water is too great for it, for example due to heavy rainfall.
Some use of storm overflows is permitted, to avoid the sewer network becoming overwhelmed and risking sewage backing up into homes and businesses. However, environmental campaigners have alleged that many water companies are using storm overflows far more regularly than they ought to.
Pollution of the Gt Ouse and associated waterways is becoming increasingly concerning. This Government Website allows you to monitor discharges by River System, Parliamentary Constituency or Water Company. You can then drill down to specific discharge points. It is well worth taking a look, but it makes alarming reading!
The Rivers Trust is another source of discharge data that includes permit details for all discharge points
