Sir Keir Starmer under pressure to clean nation's rivers (Image: Getty/Sewage Map)

       Water companies have dumped sewage into the nation’s rivers “illegally and with impunity”, campaigners have warned.

       Hundreds of discharges have taken place in the last 48 hours following heavy rain across the UK, a sewage map showed.

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       James Wallace, the CEO of River Action, said: “As the data shows, when it rains – as it has been across the country – water companies are dumping sewage into our rivers. And when it doesn't rain, they dump too, often illegally and with impunity. The Government must act now by introducing the strongest possible Water Bill to hold polluters accountable.

       “This means not only preventing executive bonuses but capping pay, ensuring polluters pay for destroying our waterways, and stopping them passing the cost of their failures and debt piles onto customers through higher bills.

       “While the improved clarity on when and where sewage spills are taking place is welcome though incredibly depressing, this new data remains extremely limited.”

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       During heavy rainfall, water companies can discharge sewage into rivers and lakes through storm overflows.

       READ MORE: Fury as water company boss defends ￡180k bonus despite huge bill increases

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       But some water companies have been suspected of illegally discharging on dry days.

       Mr Wallace said: “So far, only Thames Water has released historical sewage spills data, critical to tracking and reporting on specific Combined Sewer Overflows discharge trends, and assessing subsequent river health, over time. We need absolute transparency from polluters so regulators can punish illegal dumping, and we need the new Government to give the Environment Agency and Ofwat back their teeth rather than flap their gums at laughing water company CEOs and investors.”

       It comes as the Liberal Democrats plan to push a vote to ensure customers do not have to foot the bill for failing water companies.

       Liberal Democrat MPs will on Tuesday force a vote that will ensure it is creditors, rather than customers, who pay when water companies go bankrupt.

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       The Water (Special Measures) Bill leaves customers “on the hook” when a water company goes into special administration procedure, the Lib Dems said.

       Its environment spokesman Tim Farron MP said: “It is an absolute scandal that customers are forced to foot the bill of failing water companies, whilst executives line their pockets with extortionate bonuses.

       “That is why the Liberal Democrats have put forward an amendment to protect customers from water companies’ incompetence.

       “Under the former Conservative government’s watch disgusting sewage was pumped into British waters and vital infrastructure was neglected. And the current Government seems content to continue the Conservatives' appalling track record.

       “Liberal Democrat MPs will continue to hold the government’s feet to the fire until they knuckle down and get tough on polluting water companies.”

       A Water UK spokeswoman said: “Since the turn of the year the weather has been exceptionally wet, with two named storms so far this month. As a result, it is unsurprising we have seen storm overflows spilling.

       “The English water sector is one of the most transparent in the world. Last year England became the first country in the world to make near-real time storm overflow data publicly available, allowing anyone, anywhere to download the data for their own purposes.

       “Companies are poised to invest the largest amount of money ever on the natural environment – including more than ￡11 billion to almost halve spills from storm overflows by 2030.”