Ben Cooke

Tuesday September 16 2025, 4.57pm BST, The Times

Source:THETIMES

Analysis shows Dartmoor was the most affected by sewage overflows last year as campaigners push for beauty spots to be protected.

Sewage spills within national parks last year lasted more than twice as long as those outside them, a report has found.

Sewer overflows within national parks spilled sewage for an average of 549 hours last year while those outside them spilled for 266 hours, according to an analysis by the Campaign for National Parks and the Rivers Trust.

In total sewage spilt into rivers in national parks for 254,808 hours last year. The most affected was Dartmoor where sewage outflows spilt for an average of 792 hours. The Norfolk Broads, the South Downs and the New Forest were almost as badly affected.

• Thousands of potentially illegal sewage spills in first half of 2025

“You’d expect national park fresh waters to be protected like the national treasures they are, but instead they are being ignored and neglected by government, regulators and water companies,” Rose O’Neill, chief executive of the Campaign for National Parks, said.

Rivers within national parks are overall in better health than those outside and are home to species such as otters, salmon and trout, but only 42 per cent of them are of good ecological status, according to the Environment Agency. That compares to 12 per cent of rivers outside parks.

Spills occur more often in national parks because sewage works there are generally small and unable to cope with the high seasonal pressures of tourism. While 400,000 people live in national parks, they receive more than 90 million visitors a year, mainly in the summer months when rivers are at their lowest and most vulnerable to pollution. The law imposes lower water purity standards on smaller wastewater treatment plants meaning that many in national parks are allowed to spill more pollution.

• National parks rivers polluted with more drugs than in London

O’Neill called on the government to set a legally binding target to improve all sewage overflows in national parks by 2035 as well as mandating a new water regulator to prioritise the health of rivers in parks.

The government has accepted the recommendation of the Independent Water Commission to replace Ofwat with a new water regulator that has responsibility not only for setting bills but also for maintaining river health and drinking water safety, responsibilities currently borne by the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

“Government in England and Wales is in the midst of the biggest reform of the water sector in decades — they must not forget national parks,” O’Neill said. “It’s time to give these waterways the strongest legal protections, the highest standards and the urgent investment they deserve.”

While sewage is responsible for 40 per cent of rivers within national parks not attaining good ecological status, agricultural pollution affects nearly half of them. Rainfall washes fertiliser and slurry from fields into rivers, increasing levels of nitrogen and phosphorus.

A spokesperson for the department for environment, food and rural affairs said: “The government is taking action to clean up England’s rivers, lakes and seas, especially in our iconic national parks and landscapes. We’re rebuilding sewage pipes to slash pollution levels in half with over £104 billion of private investment.”