Ash Smith, from the campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, wears waders as makes his way through a farmer's field by a storm overflow outlet near Witney in central England.
BENEATH the grey waters off southern England, 400 million mussels cling to ropes dangling from buoys spread across an area the size of the country’s largest airport.
Almost 5km offshore, Europe’s biggest offshore mussel farm was built by the Holmyard family in Lyme Bay, chosen for its clean waters – far from the millions of litres of sewage dumped into UK seas each year.
But even here, pollution is a problem.
Harmful bacteria like E. coli taint the water, halting exports to Europe for weeks and undermining a business producing sustainable seafood.
“It’s criminal that they’re allowed to dump what they dump in the seas and get away with it,” said sales manager Sarah Holmyard. “It’s affecting all sorts of businesses, including us.”
Smith testing water in a farmer’s field by a storm overflow outlet near Witney in central England, Britain.
While Britain’s shellfish industry is relatively small, the Holmyards’ struggles highlight how basic infrastructure failures – such as sewage mismanagement – can damage the broader economy.
Reuters interviews with 20 people and data analysis reveal how water pollution has impacted tourism and delayed construction, dragging on economic growth just as the new Labour government seeks to revive it.
Between 2019 and 2024, the Environment Agency objected to 60 planning applications due to the strain they would place on local sewer systems.
Now, clean-water activists are shifting tactics, opposing new developments to pressure the government into fixing the sewage crisis.
“Money talks,” said Ash Smith of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution.
Standing knee-deep in untreated sewage in an Oxfordshire brook, he explained how his group’s objections to housebuilding expose the extent of Britain’s failing water infrastructure.
Widespread pollution
The dumping of sewage into rivers and seas has become a national scandal.
Privatised water firms are accused of prioritising dividends over investment while routinely discharging waste into waterways when their ageing infrastructure can’t cope.
Pollution has deterred wild swimmers, angered surfers and triggered toxic algal blooms.
Cardboard cut-outs of protesters holding placards are planted on the pebbly beach during a demonstration against the continued dumping of untreated sewage by water companies, off the coast of Brighton, southern England, Britain. The sight of sewage and litter on beaches and in rivers has driven thousands of people to protest. — Reuters
Many Britons, noticing changes in their local waterways, have become amateur water-quality experts.
In 2023 alone, English water companies discharged sewage for 3.6 million hours, polluting coastlines, damaging ecosystems, and deterring tourists.
Rising sewage spills
British sewers mix rainwater with wastewater. In heavy rains, companies are permitted to release sewage to prevent overflows, but many have been fined for excessive discharges.
South West Water, which services Devon – including Lyme Bay – dumped sewage for 530,737 hours in 2023, an 83% rise from 2022, making it one of England’s worst offenders. The company insists it is working to improve water quality.
“We’re ensuring every designated shellfish water in our region meets the government’s target of fewer than 10 spills per year – 10 years ahead of schedule – as we nearly double investment to £2.5bil from 2025-2030,” the company said.
Risky business
When John and Nicki Holmyard planned their mussel farm, they sought warmer waters, optimal sea depth and nutrient-rich conditions to boost growth.
Lyme Bay seemed ideal: far enough offshore to avoid runoff, yet sheltered from rough swells.
Seven years of planning and regulatory approvals followed before they knew if their gamble would pay off.
Now, 11 years on, the farm yields around 3,000 tonnes of mussels annually, with hopes of reaching 10,000-12,000 tonnes when fully operational. Yet, pollution remains a major threat.
“We never thought sewage would be an issue this far offshore,” John Holmyard admitted. “But it hasn’t worked out that way.”
Retiree Guy Pugh testing a sample from the River Deben for sewage pollution, close to a storm overflow near Easton, eastern England. — Reuters
Brexit, bureaucracy and business
For shellfish producers, sewage has been catastrophic.
Before Brexit, mussels and oysters could be sent to the European Union before purification.
Now, only those from Britain’s cleanest waters – rated Class A – can be exported unpurified.
This restriction has devastated mussel farming in north Wales, once Britain’s largest exporter to Europe, where poor water quality and a lack of purification facilities have slashed exports.
The Shellfish Association of Great Britain estimates that UK exports could double if waters were cleaner.
In Whitstable, a town famed for shellfish since Roman times, oyster harvester James Green once sold half his stock to Europe and Hong Kong.
Now, due to Brexit and pollution, he can only sell purified oysters domestically.
His water supplier, Southern Water, was fined £90mil in 2021 for illegally dumping sewage from 2010 to 2015.
The pollution disrupted harvests and exports, but Green received no compensation.
“I’ve got a business to run,” he said. “Can you wait five, six, seven years for things to change?”
To protect his oysters, Green tests for E. coli, salmonella and norovirus, monitors rainfall and tracks sewer overflows before harvesting.
Southern Water insists it is investing heavily to protect shellfish beds.
Ash Smith, from the campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, wearing waders as he tests water in a farmer’s field by a storm overflow outlet near Witney in central England, Britain. Clean water campaigners have started to marshal opposition against planning applications, believing that’s more likely to pressure the government into fixing the sewage system than current efforts focusing on the harm caused to biodiversity. ‘Money talks’, said Smith. Standing knee deep in grey, untreated sewage water in a local brook in Oxfordshire, he explained how they were objecting to house building to show how the water system had broken the country’s infrastructure more broadly. — Reuters
Testing troubles
The Holmyards say their mussels are tested for E. coli almost daily in the Netherlands and always meet Class A standards.
Yet, British authorities have occasionally classified parts of their farm as Class B based on monthly tests, preventing exports for weeks and automatically downgrading the same area the following year.
“It’s baffling,” John said. “By the time bacteria from the shore reach us, they should be heavily diluted. Our Dutch tests don’t match the British results.”
Since Brexit, they have struggled to attract investment due to the risk of export bans.
The Food Standards Agency says it must prioritise public health and that better water quality is the only long-term solution.
A thriving ecosystem
Despite the setbacks, the farm is teeming with marine life.
As Sarah and George Holmyard pluck predatory starfish from the mussels, they describe how surveys show the site has become a haven for crab and lobster.
The Holmyards’ blue mussels, prized for their rich, sweet flavour, are a premium product in Europe.
Despite occasional bans, 95% of their stock is still exported to the European Union, with the remainder sold domestically.
Tourism officials believe such high-quality, local food is essential for attracting visitors. Yet, talk of sewage has damaged the region’s appeal.
“It drives you to despair,” said Alistair Handyside, chairman of the South West Tourism Alliance.
Growing public outrage
The sight of sewage-strewn beaches has fuelled protests. Campaigners like Sally Burtt-Jones of SOS Whitstable regularly test water, stage demonstrations and lobby for legislative change.
“We care about our community and the sea,” she said. “When we come together, we can make a difference.”
John Reeve of Surfers Against Sewage has worked with officials in Saltburn to manage rainwater runoff as storms intensify due to climate change.
“We’re making progress, but it takes time,” he said.
A broken system
Water firms say they have invested heavily since privatisation in 1989, but population growth and climate change have outpaced upgrades.
Regulator Ofwat, which has let bills remain low for decades, now wants to raise customer rates by 36% over five years to fund improvements.
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency continues blocking planning applications over concerns that existing sewage systems cannot cope.
The crisis has stalled housing, retail, office and school projects – an obstacle to the government’s infrastructure boom ambitions.
Pollution has also hit biodiversity, with Atlantic salmon stocks at record lows due to poor water quality.
For the Holmyards, the future of their business – and Britain’s reputation for high-quality seafood – depends on urgent action.
“The potential is huge,” said Sarah. “But if we can’t fix the water, what’s the point?” — Reuters
