How to Report Sewage Pollution in County Durham

A foul smell, discoloured water or dead fish can point to a serious pollution incident. If you need to report sewage pollution in County Durham, contact the Environment Agency first, especially when sewage is still entering a river, stream or beck.

Northumbrian Water should also receive a report when the suspected source is a sewer, treatment works or storm overflow. Quick, accurate information helps regulators and the water company identify the location, assess the risk and respond faster. It also gives residents a clear record when they ask local representatives for answers.

What sewage pollution looks like

Sewage pollution isn’t always obvious. Raw sewage may appear as grey or brown water, floating solids, toilet paper or a visible discharge from a pipe. A strong sewage smell can also indicate contamination, although smells alone don’t prove where the pollution came from.

Other warning signs include unusual foam, a sudden change in water colour, dead fish or fish gasping at the surface. Pollution may also affect the riverbank, nearby soil or drainage channels. You might spot it in the River Wear, the Browney, the Deerness or a smaller watercourse near your home.

Don’t assume that every unusual change is sewage. Heavy rain can wash soil, road pollutants and debris into water. That is why your report should describe what you saw rather than state the cause as a fact.

Keep people and animals away from contaminated water. Don’t enter the river, touch dead fish or approach an outfall. Dogs can become ill after drinking polluted water or swimming in it, so use a lead near the affected area.

Northumbrian Water’s environmental record shows why reports matter. Its Environment Agency data for 2024 recorded 117 actual pollution incidents and 39 sewerage pollution incidents per 10,000 kilometres of sewer. The same report rated its numeric discharge permit compliance at 97.2 per cent, a red rating. These figures cover the company’s wider operating area, not County Durham alone.

How to report sewage pollution in County Durham

The Environment Agency incident hotline is 0800 80 70 60. It operates 24 hours a day and accepts reports about water pollution, sewage, dead fish, unusual river conditions and pollution affecting land.

Call the hotline immediately when:

• sewage is actively flowing into a river, stream, beck, lake or canal;
• fish are dead or appear to be gasping for air;
• people, children or animals may come into contact with the pollution;
• the discharge is spreading or its source is unknown;
• you suspect pollution from a treatment works, pipe or industrial site.

The Environment Agency also has an online service called “Report an environmental problem”. It allows some environmental incidents, including water pollution, to be reported online at any time. However, use the phone for an active spill rather than waiting to complete a form.

You should report the incident to Northumbrian Water as well if you suspect its network or equipment is involved. The company’s pollution reporting page asks for the type of pollution, the location, the time you saw it and whether the discharge is continuing.

If sewage is still entering a watercourse, report it by phone first. A written report can follow, but active pollution shouldn’t wait.

Reporting to both organisations gives the water company the operational details and gives the regulator a direct record of the incident. You don’t need to prove who caused the pollution before making a report.

What information should you collect?

Good location details can make the difference between a quick inspection and a long search. Before calling, note the nearest postcode, road, bridge, footpath, farm entrance or landmark. Include the name of the river or beck if you know it, and say which bank you were standing on.

Record the following details:

1. Write down the date and exact time you noticed the pollution.
2. Describe the colour, smell, appearance and approximate size of the affected area.
3. Say whether the pollution is still flowing and whether it is moving downstream.
4. Note dead fish, distressed wildlife, affected plants or visible sewage solids.
5. Take photographs or video from a safe public place, without entering private land.
6. Mention recent heavy rain, blocked drains or any unusual odour nearby.

Don’t put yourself at risk to get better evidence. Never climb into a river, open a manhole cover or walk through contaminated mud. Photographs should show the wider location as well as the pollution, but you shouldn’t delay a report while trying to capture perfect images.

Use plain, factual language. For example, state that you saw a dark discharge entering the water beneath a particular bridge at a particular time. Avoid claiming that a named company broke the law unless the regulator has established that fact.

It can also help to note whether the pollution affects a public footpath, popular dog-walking area, fishing spot or bathing location. This gives the Environment Agency and the council a clearer idea of the possible public-health risk.

Floodwater can create a separate reporting problem because surface water, overloaded drains and sewage can look similar. The council may have information about surface water management in Durham, including local drainage responsibilities and known flood risks.

Which organisation should handle the incident?

The right contact depends on what you have seen and where it is happening.

Incident	First report
Sewage or other pollution in a river, beck, stream, lake or canal	Environment Agency, 0800 80 70 60
Suspected leak from a Northumbrian Water sewer, treatment works or overflow	Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water
Sewage flooding inside your home or garden	Northumbrian Water, 0800 328 7648
A blocked or damaged council drain, road gully or highway drainage problem	Durham County Council
An immediate risk to someone’s life or safety	Call 999, then report the pollution

Northumbrian Water’s 24-hour helpline for sewer flooding inside a property is 0800 328 7648. Use it as soon as sewage enters your home or garden, because the company may need to arrange an urgent response.

Durham County Council can assist the Environment Agency with an investigation when a water pollution incident may affect public health. For general council concerns, its main contact number is 03000 26 0000. A council-owned drain or road problem may need a separate report, even when the pollution eventually reaches a watercourse.

A pollution incident on private land still belongs with the Environment Agency if it affects water, wildlife or public health. The landowner may also need to know, but don’t rely on a private conversation as your only report.

What happens after you report sewage pollution?

The Environment Agency assesses the information and decides what response is needed. It may contact the water company, inspect the site, collect evidence or coordinate with Durham County Council. The response will depend on the pollution’s scale, whether it is ongoing and the risk to people, wildlife and the wider environment.

Northumbrian Water may ask for more detail about its assets or nearby drains. Keep any reference number, confirmation email or call record. If the pollution continues, make clear that it is a follow-up to an earlier report and provide the new time and location details.

The Environment Agency’s 2024 report says Northumbrian Water self-reported 121 incidents, while 13 were reported by other people. Around 90 per cent of the company’s incidents were self-reported. Public reports remain important because they can draw attention to conditions that a company may not have identified or recorded at that moment.

You can check the published Northumbrian Water EPA data to understand how the company performed across the regulator’s measures. Its environmental performance page records a two-star rating in the Environment Agency’s assessment published in October 2025.

A social media post may alert neighbours, but it isn’t a substitute for an official report. Send the details to the proper organisation first, then share a careful public update if people need a warning about the affected area.

Keep reporting clear and persistent

When you report sewage pollution, the strongest evidence is usually simple: an exact location, a precise time, a clear description and photographs taken safely. Contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60 for pollution in a watercourse, and contact Northumbrian Water when its network may be involved.

Don’t wait for someone else to raise the alarm. Residents who report incidents give regulators better information and give councillors, campaigners and local communities a documented basis for demanding action. That focus on local accountability also fits the wider Reform UK emphasis on stronger representation for communities across Britain.

Conclusion

A sewage spill can spread quickly, but a well-made report takes only a few minutes. Record what you saw, stay out of the water, call the Environment Agency for active pollution and notify Northumbrian Water when its infrastructure may be responsible.

Accurate reports help turn a foul smell or discoloured river into an incident that authorities can investigate. If the water is still being polluted, make the call straight away.