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The environmental agency said it would not investigate
Periods of heavy rain prompted the spills, which residents said had created heavy sewage around a waterway in north Lincolnshire – but the Environment Agency said these spills were within permissible limits. Residents reported a strong unpleasant smell around Bottesford Beck at the end of August.
Monitoring data shows a spill lasting more than 38 hours in the Beck, which runs south of Bottesford near Scunthorpe. Severn Trent said storm surges would start after intense rainfall at the end of August, following a hot, dry summer.
North Lincolnshire councilors accessed monitoring records that showed a waterway that fed into a tributary of Bottesford Beck had a discharge starting at 2.04 am on August 31, 2026. It continued until 4.29 am on September 1, 2026, lasting approximately 38 hours and 24 minutes.
Records also show a discharge event on August 28 lasting about five hours and 25 minutes. Another discharge event, lasting six hours and 40 minutes on August 31, was reported at a tributary feeding into Bottesford Beck.
Residents reported heavy sewage around the beck and spoke to Cllrs Bell and Judith Matthews, prompting councilors to write to both Severn Trent, the Environment Agency and DEFRA. They questioned why such prolonged discharges occurred during an exceptionally dry summer.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said the agency was aware of the recent floods, which they described as “permitted failures”. It says the outages, which took place in the region from August 28 to September 1, appear to fall during periods of heavy rainfall to environmental permits.
The agency conducts monthly analysis of gaming data and takes action when violations are found. The EA spokesman said: “We are aware of the recent sewer overflows at Bottesford Beck and are not investigating as these appear to be permitted spills.”
A Severn Trent spokesman said heavy rain had led to storm flooding. The spokesman said: “While this summer has generally been exceptionally hot and dry, periods of intense rainfall at the end of August have resulted in storm surges operating in some areas.
“Although these weirs have worked as designed to protect homes from flooding, we continue to invest heavily in reducing their use. We are committed to reducing spills and delivering a record £2 billion investment to improve river health, including upgrades to storm surges at thousands of sites across our region.
Cllr Bell said: “Residents are understandably extremely concerned. Bottesford Beck is a valued local asset, and people want answers about exactly what happened, why it happened, and what is being done to ensure it doesn’t happen again. We have therefore written to Severn Trent Water and the Environment Agency seeking an urgent explanation and details of any investigations taking place.
Cllr Matthews said: “Many residents have contacted us after experiencing a very strong smell coming from the Beck area, and there is real concern about the potential impact on wildlife, water quality and the local environment. People rightly expect organizations responsible for managing our waterways and sewerage infrastructure to take these incidents seriously and be transparent about what has happened.”
Councilors have asked Severn Trent Water and the Environment Agency to explain the cause of the discharge events, provide details of any environmental monitoring that has taken place, and set out what measures will be put in place to prevent a recurrence in the future. They also contacted DEFRA to ask what enforcement options are available when prolonged discharges occur and what further action the Government is taking to reduce the frequency and duration of these incidents nationally.
Cllr Bell continued: “Residents will naturally question why events of this scale occur and whether enough is being done to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure involved. We will continue to press for answers and will make the answers available to residents as soon as they are received.
The councilors praised the work of local volunteers who give their time for the protection and improvement of the waterway, such as the Friends of the Beck and other local volunteers. Councilors are now calling on Severn Trent Water, the Environment Agency, DEFRA and North Lincolnshire Council to work together to prevent future incidents. The EA said anyone who witnesses an environmental problem should report it to its 24/7 hotline on 0800 807060.
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