Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 39
39
Accepted
Increasing untreated sewage spills from storm overflows exacerbate antimicrobial resistance, posing serious public health concerns.
Conclusion
Storm overflow valves are designed to release water from the sewer network into watercourses and the sea when the volume of water is too high for the system.100 In 2016, 862 storm overflow sites were monitored for spills of untreated sewage, and they averaged 15 spill events each in the year. By 2023 this had increased to an average 33 spill events from the 14,000 storm overflows then being monitored. The increasing incidence of untreated wastewater and sewage entering the aquatic environment through storm overflows is likely to be exacerbating AMR.101 DHSC acknowledged that the treatment and reduction of wastewater and sewage entering waterways is fundamental to reducing resistant infections.102 This point was also made to us in a number of submissions to the Committee, reinforcing the fact that this is a serious public health concern.103
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the conclusion, setting an Autumn 2027 target. They will publish a White Paper in Autumn 2025 to embed public health in the water system, continue research on AMR and sewage sludge (reporting 2027), and commission further research on human health and wastewater by Summer 2026.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
8.1 The department agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2027 8.2 The Independent Water Commission, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, published its report on 21 July 2025. It recommends making public health a statutory objective for water companies and highlights their role in tackling antimicrobial resistance through better wastewater management. It also recommends that the UK and Welsh governments should tighten regulatory oversight of sludge activity by moving the treatment, storage and use of sludge into the Environmental Permitting Regulations. The department will provide a full response via a White Paper in Autumn 2025, setting out its approach to embedding public health across the water system, ensuring public health is addressed substantively and systemically. 8.3 The department has been working with water companies under their Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP), to improve the evidence base on the behaviour and fate of contaminants during treatment processes. Research from phase 3 of CIP investigated antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and sewage sludge and evidence suggested that anaerobic digestion – the prevalent sewage sludge treatment method – demonstrated some level of effectiveness in reducing AMR in sludge. Building upon these findings, phase 4 aims to delve deeper into the relationship between AMR and sludge and will report in 2027. 8.4 Defra is also in discussions with DHSC and stakeholders to understand the evidence gaps on human health and wastewater. The department will commission further research to address these gaps by Summer 2026 and will continue to test and improve the evidence base.