Storm overflows are designed to release excess storm water from the sewerage system into rivers or the sea during prolonged, heavy rainfall, to ensure they are not overwhelmed. Water companies should only do this under strictly permitted conditions.
Nearly nine in ten storm overflows now have monitoring devices providing vital information about their use to hold water companies to account and drive environmental protections By the end of 2023 all storm overflows will have monitors in place.
The Environment Agency reports that some 12,400 monitors (86%) have returned data for the 2021 EDM release, up from 8,276 in 2019.
Increasing transparency around the use of storm overflows is fundamental to efforts across government and by regulators to understand and improve water quality, and to hold water companies to account.
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