State IntegrityReceipts, not verdicts

Northumbrian Water

water and sewerage company · England

Monitored storm overflows run by Northumbrian Water spilled 27,860 times in 2025, according to the Environment Agency's annual returns. That is down 24% from 36,483 in 2021.

Those spills lasted a combined 123,803 hours in 2025. That is down 44% from 220,560 hours in 2021.

In 2024, the Environment Agency recorded 39.0 pollution incidents per 10,000 km of sewer for Northumbrian Water.

Of the years from 2021 to 2025 in the Environment Agency's returns, Northumbrian Water reported its largest number of monitored spills in 2023 (46,492).

Storm overflows

Storm overflow spills (monitored)
27,860
Spills are counted with the Environment Agency's 12/24-hour counting method.
Hours of storm overflow spills
123,803 hours
Average spills per storm overflow
17.8
Average length of a spill
4.4 hours
Storm overflows with spill data
1,559
Storm overflows that spilled more than 30 times
336
46k28k 20212025
280k108k 20212025
30.117.8 20212025
6.03.6 20212025
1,5591,440 20212025
Storm overflow spills (monitored)
202136,483
202229,697
202346,492
202440,792
202527,860
Hours of storm overflow spills
2021220,560 hours
2022107,536 hours
2023280,029 hours
2024246,587 hours
2025123,803 hours
Average spills per storm overflow
202125.3
202220.3
202330.1
202426.3
202517.8
Average length of a spill
20216.0 hours
20223.6 hours
20236.0 hours
20246.0 hours
20254.4 hours
Storm overflows with spill data
20211,440
20221,463
20231,546
20241,551
20251,559

Environmental Performance Assessment

Pollution incidents per 10,000 km of sewer
39.0
Serious pollution incidents
0
Pollution incidents the company reported itself
90.0%
Discharge permit compliance
97.2%

Where Northumbrian Water sits in the ladder of power

The bodies above Northumbrian Water and the council areas it serves. How the ten levels work.

  1. Level 4: County councils, combined authorities and metro mayors

    • Northumbrian Water this page
  2. Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies

  3. Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies

  4. Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance

    • International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
    • World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
  5. Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums

    • G7 The UK is one of the seven members.
    • G20 The UK is a G20 member.

Sources

Water and sewerage companies · how these figures are presented · built 15 October 2026