Climate crisis could trigger sewage surge in English rivers, MPs told

Environmental body calls for investment in nature-based solutions to stem rise in discharge

There will be a rise in the scale of sewage discharge into rivers and waterways due to extreme weather events as a result of climate change, MPs have been told.

Nature-based solutions must be a top priority for the government and the water regulator, Ofwat, when it comes to water companies' investment over the coming decades. By 2050, MPs heard, the English sewerage system would face a 55% increase in water flowing through the network as a result of increased urbanisation and the removal of natural surfaces, which help water drain away.