Frequently asked questions
Select a topic
- What are storm overflows?
- How many storm overflows are there in the North West?
- When do combined storm overflows operate?
- How do you treat wastewater before it enters the watercourse?
- What is storm water?
- Is an overflow discharging legally?
- What's the impact of storm discharge on the environment?
- Why might there be storm discharges when there hasn’t been a storm?
- Do you test the river water regularly?
- Why can I see foam on the river near your pipes?
- What can customers do to reduce amount of rainfall entering the sewer?
- What is a culverted watercourse?
- What is a surface water sewer and what does it carry?
- What are you doing to avoid having to use storm overflows?
- What are you doing to reduce and stop spills?
- How are you working in partnership with others to reduce rainfall entering the sewer?
- Why has spill frequency and duration increased from 2022 to 2023?
- Why has the operability of your monitors dropped from 2022 to 2023?
- What is the storm overflow map?
- How do I use the storm overflow map?
- What do the map icons mean?
- Why are some monitors showing as under maintenance/review?
- Do monitors under maintenance/review record any information?
- What is an event duration monitor (EDM)?
- How do you track and measure spills?
- How do you collect and show spill data?
- Why is your map 'near real time' and not 'real time'?
- Why do some of the pins overlap on the map?
- Why isn't my local pumping station showing on the map?
- Why doesn't my local treatment works appear on your map?
- What is at the location of the pin?
- Why does a storm overflow appear to be spilling when the map say’s it’s not?
- Why are there discharge points in the sea?
- Why do there appear to be fewer icons than there are EDM spill points?
- Can the map tell me if it's safe to swim or enter the water?
If you suspect sewage pollution, please visit our pollution page here.
Not found an answer to your question? Complete our feedback form here.