Much of England’s sewage disposal may be illegal, new research suggests.

This is not the first time the local agency’s enforcement system has been questioned.

In the year In 2024, the Office of Environmental Protection (OEP), an independent public body, ruled that the EA no longer applies to when sewage can be legally discharged. According to the law, the EA is allowing water companies to flow in “normal” weather instead of “exceptional conditions”.

According to the OEP report issued by the EA New guidance last year, External Make it clear that it should not leak in normal weather.

But in an email exchange with the BBC, the EAA refused to confirm that leaks should only happen in “exceptional circumstances”, but said it would “always take action” if a breach of the law occurs.

“However, in order to meet the strict legal requirements for criminal prosecution, we need to take into account a range of factors, including specific location and permit conditions, as well as rainfall,” the spokesperson said.

Asked to provide a list of completed or ongoing enforcement actions related to the “normal” weather spill, an EA spokesperson said they could not, citing “ongoing legal proceedings.”

Responding to Professor Hammond’s analysis, a spokesman for Water UK, which represents the water companies, told the BBC: “As confirmed by the High Court and the Environment Agency, spills should only occur in ‘exceptional circumstances’ or if preventing them is technically feasible but would involve excessive cost.”

“In any case, we want to stop all leaks and we are working to eliminate them as fast as we physically can.”