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The UK has over 600 designated bathing waters, put in place under the EU Bathing Waters Directive. While people may swim in many locations, designated bathing waters are regularly tested throughout the bathing water season each year.

100,000 kilometres of England’s sewer pipes were built before the mid-1960s and use an old-fashioned design that carries two kinds of waste: rainwater from street drains, and sewage from homes.

They are therefore known as ‘combined’ sewers. Combined sewers were built many decades before modern rates of population growth and climate change were understood, which means that there is often now more sewage and rainwater going into these systems than first envisaged.

Misconnected drains can pollute local streams, rivers and beaches, damage wildlife and cause considerable health risks. ConnectRight is a partnership of organisations who are working to reduce water pollution from drains and sewers.

The water sector has delivered major benefits to customers, society and the environment over the past 25 years. Our water supplies are even more reliable, our drinking water remains among the best in the world and our rivers and beaches are cleaner than ever before. This success has been underpinned by partnerships, in particular with investors.