Joe Lycett wades through sewage with Channel 4

Following several news stories about waste that is being pumped untreated into our waterways Lycett is on the case…

Comedian Joe Lycett investigates the mind-boggling quantities of untreated sewage that are discharged into our rivers and seas every day in a one-off Channel 4 special, Joe Lycett Vs Sewage.

Travelling the country to meet experts and people affected by the issue, Joe makes some shocking discoveries about how this has been allowed to happen and how the situation might be improved – before taking the fight to the privately-owned water companies in the most Joe Lycett way possible.

Surfers Against Sewage notes that there was 399,864 discharges of raw sewage into UK waterways in 2022 alone while of the 86% of inland water bodies which fail to meet targets in England, 36% have been identified as failing directly as a result of sewage and wastewater discharges and 14% of the UK’s rivers are considered to be in good ecological health, and every single one of them fails to meet required chemical standards.

However, it is more rosey for the once publicly owned water franchises. SAS note that in the 2021/22 financial year, water companies paid out a total of £965 million in shareholder dividends and one water company CEO’s took home an eyewatering £16.5 million in the 2021/22 financial year.

Joe Lycett Vs Sewage, Channel 4, tonight at 9 pm