The government and regulators have broken the law by being too lenient on water companies that spill sewage, the UK's environment watchdog has found.
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) said sewage releases should only be allowed in exceptional circumstances, such as during unusually heavy rainfall, but that "this has not always been the case".
It acknowledged that regulator Ofwat had now taken steps to change the way it implemented the law. The government and the Environment Agency are carefully "considering the allegations" but failure to accept them could result in legal action.
Campaigners welcomed the findings but called it a "bittersweet moment".
Public anger has increased in recent years over the level of sewage spills which were found to have doubled in 2023.