Climate change
Over the next 25 years we expect more extreme rainfall events.
In this video we explore why combined sewer overflows play a major part in preventing flooding in our homes, and share some top tips on what you can do to help protect our environment.
View our performance hereWe don't usually like to think too much about what happens when we flush the loo but sewer overflows are an important part of the sewerage network which takes away the used water from our homes.
We call them combined sewer overflows (CSO's) and, while they probably don't crop up in your everyday conversation, they play a major part in preventing flooding in our streets and homes. They act as a pressure relief valve when there is too much rainfall, allowing rain water, mixed with sewage, to rise inside the sewer and eventually enter a separate pipe which flows into a river or the sea.
The Environment Agency estimates these sewer overflows lead to around 30 per cent of sea pollution in the North West, with water quality along our coastline also affected by lots of other factors. We are committed to improving our beaches and working with our partners on tackling these issues, such as rain running off highways and farm land, private drainage being incorrectly connected and people not cleaning up after their dogs.
In addition to our specific challenges with CSOs, there are also a number of wider issues impacting water quality.
Over the next 25 years we expect more extreme rainfall events.
The North West is building 310,000 new homes by 2030.
The wastewater network is made up of 565 treatment works and 47,224 miles of wastewater pipes. 54% of this system is combined with 2200 storm overflows.
1 million extra people in the next 25 years.
Slurry run off and non sustainable practices can create water quality challenges.
28% more annual run off than the rest of the country. Thousands of pipes and soakaways discharge rainwater straight into rivers and fields.