A new coalition of community groups and NGOs has launched today with the shared aim to Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage to protect our rivers, lochs and seas and our right to safe water.
According to their latest data, Scottish Water discharged sewage 100,044 times from sewer overflows for a total of 276,759 hours in 2025. The duration of the spills adds up to three decades of pollution in one year.
However, this data covers only around 30% of overflows in Scotland. In comparison to England, where nearly 100% of overflows are monitored, each overflow in Scotland had 58 spills more on average.
Sewer overflows are safety valves permitted to be used when sewers are overwhelmed by extreme weather, but this data confirms that they are now used routinely. The Coalition argues that regulation is failing to prevent unacceptable levels of pollution and requires urgent reform.
The coalition’s analysis highlights that 4,617 of the spills were near designated bathing waters. In just the first six months of 2026, Scottish Water recorded 21,450 sewage discharges, with 1,136 occurring near bathing waters. Last year, Surfers Against Sewage received 30 reports from people getting sick from polluted water – most were from bathing waters classified as ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’. These findings corroborate the coalition’s call for increased protection for bathing waters and improved safeguards for public health and the environment.
Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage Coalition members include community groups from both rural villages and cities across Scotland, as well as experts in environmental law, freshwater and marine ecosystems – including Buglife, the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, Marine Conservation Society, Surfers Against Sewage and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
With a new Scottish Parliament, the coalition is calling for stronger regulations to provide full transparency about the extent of sewage pollution in Scotland and reduce sewage spills:
- Make pollution visible: Monitor all sewer overflowsso we know how often they are polluting our waterways.
- Stop routine pollution: Match EU standards for surface water quality and wastewater treatment to limit toxic chemicals.
- Hold polluters to account: Give our regulators the resources to enforce the law.
- Build in resilience: Set interim targets for 2030 to invest in blue-green infrastructure to reduce sewage spills.
Jim Jarvie, SOSLeith said:
‘SOSLeith has struggled to get the Scottish Government, Scottish Water, and environmental regulators to take the risks from sewage pollution in our neighbourhood seriously. We know that sewer overflows regularly discharge in our area, even in dry weather. Our citizen science testing shows E. coli and other pollutants are in our waters. Yet, as a small group of locals, we are usually ignored, or at best not taken seriously. We welcome joining other groups in this coalition to amplify our calls for full monitoring of sewage release, the resulting human and environmental health risks, and clear mitigation plans.’
Henry Swithinbank, Policy & Advocacy Manager at Surfers Against Sewage said:
‘The rise in sewage spills across Scotland is deeply concerning and underlines the urgent need for 100% monitoring of the wastewater network. Comprehensive monitoring provides vital evidence for regulators and public bodies to identify pollution, target investment and hold polluters to account, while also giving communities the information they need to make informed decisions about using their local waters. Without full monitoring, we cannot fully understand, prevent or tackle sewage pollution.’
Shivali Fifield, Chief Officer at the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, said:
‘These findings confirm that Scotland’s current monitoring regime and enforcement of environmental regulations are not enough to prevent sewage pollution. In the past couple of years, ERCS’s free Law Service has worked on over 60 cases about water quality and sewage. We’ve seen how exhausting and exasperating it is for communities to try and get unlawful sewage spills taken seriously and addressed. We need new laws that match EU standards for water quality and wastewater treatment to safeguard human and environmental health and our right to safe water.
‘We keep hearing from politicians how Scotland’s environment is our most important asset. Launching this Coalition is about listening to communities across Scotland who care deeply about nature and public health, and starting a national conversation about holding polluters to account and investing in our water infrastructure.’
ENDS
For more information contact
Shivali Fifield, Chief Officer
Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland
sfifield@ercs.scot, 07395 652434
NOTES TO EDITORS
[1] Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage Coalition brings together community groups, NGOs and individuals demanding urgent action to protect people and nature from sewage pollution. The Coalition campaigns to raise public debate and support for the immediate and long-term reforms needed to stop constant spills from sewer overflows. www.ercs.scot/campaign/clean-up-scotlands-sewage/coalition
[2] Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage Coalition members are: Buglife, Coastal Communities Network, Cove & Kilcreggan Clearwater Group, Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, The Kyles Coastal Community, Marine Conservation Society, River Almond Action Group, Scottish Rural Action, Scottish Wildlife Trust, SOSLeith, Surfers Against Sewage and Young Sea Changers Scotland.
[3] Scottish Water spill data: Published Overflow Data – Scottish Water
[4] Water Quality Report Analysis: sas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/FINAL-Water-Quality-Report-2026-1.pdf
[5] The average overflow in Scotland for recorded overflows was 78 compares to 20 in England. FINAL-Water-Quality-Report-2026-1.pdf
[6] There were sewage discharges for 276,759 hours in Scotland in 2025. See FINAL-Water-Quality-Report-2026-1.pdf and Published Overflow Data – Scottish Water
