Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)

CSO doesnt stand for Crap Spewing Out but it might as well. A CSO is a Combined Sewage Overflow drain andtheir purpose is to act as an emergency exit for raw sewage and rainwater if a sewage pumping station or treatment works is over capacity.

Without CSOs sewage could end up coming back out of our toilets so they are obviously a vital part of our sewerage infrastructure. However, all over the country we know they are used far too often to dispose of raw sewage rather than water companies treating the sewage, ensuring it is safe to discharge into our rivers and seas. In theory, CSOs should discharge 3 times a year, which we think would be a fair compromise, but they are often used significantly more than this.

The accompanying image to this article is evidence that this CSO has suffered a major discharge of raw sewage into a river that comes out into a popular surfing and bathing beach. We know that the CSO pictured here was clear the previous day so everything in this shot was just a few hours old. Some of the sanitary waste is so recent the packaging is in perfect condition and the cotton on the cotton bud sticks still has wax on it! Who puts this stuff down the toilet still? Think before you flush!

We only have small team and we cant physically check every CSO in the country after rain (there are over 22,000 CSOs in the UK) but you can help. To find out if a CSO impacts on your local surf spot or bathing water, google the Environment Agencys Whats in my back yard and look up water quality. Once you know where it is you can investigate after heavy rain, giving you an idea of what you are exposing your self to before the first duck dive.

If you see signs of a sewage spill call the Environment Agency (EA) pollution hotline on 0800 80 70 60 and the SAS pollution hotline on 01872 555 950. Well help chase the EA with you.