Public pressure is mounting on ministers and water companies over the use of sewage sludge on farmland, after new polling revealed overwhelming support for tougher controls amid growing concern about pollution, food safety and river health.
A YouGov survey commissioned by River Action found that 92% of people in the UK believe water companies should have responsibility for ensuring that sewage sludge spread on farmland is not contaminated, with almost nine in 10 saying the government should also be accountable.
The findings are being published as a petition calling for an end to the spreading of contaminated sludge, signed by almost 70,000 people, is handed in outside Defra in London on 16 December.
The poll highlights a sharp gap between public concern and awareness. Three in five respondents said they did not know that sewage sludge from water companies is commonly used on farmland, while around half believe the practice poses risks to health and food quality. Nearly two-thirds said they see a risk to water health.
Campaigners argue that these concerns reflect weaknesses in the regulatory framework. While treated sewage sludge is sold to farmers as a low-cost fertiliser, water companies are not required to remove substances such as PFAS “forever chemicals” or microplastics, because the legislation governing sludge treatment dates back to the 1980s, before many modern contaminants were recognised.
Support for stronger regulation was widespread across the survey. More than 85% of respondents backed legal limits on contaminants, tougher monitoring and mandatory public reporting of contamination levels. Almost half supported a ban on spreading treated sewage sludge on farmland, while 39% said water companies should find alternative disposal routes even if this results in higher water bills.
Alongside the national polling, River Action also surveyed 105 farmers across the UK to understand views among those directly affected. While the sample was small, 83% of respondents said they recognised the risk of contamination in biosolids. More than 70% said they were worried about impacts on water health, with similar concern expressed about soil health.
Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, said the findings reflected growing unease within the sector. “These findings show just how worried farmers are about the contamination of sewage sludge,” he said, adding that responsibility should rest with water companies and government rather than farmers.
Farmer John Hall, from County Durham, questioned why agriculture had become a disposal route for waste. “Water companies expect farmers to pay for the privilege of taking their waste, insisting that sewage sludge is a ‘valuable fertiliser’,” he said, arguing that in most sectors the cost of safe disposal sits with the producer.
Another farmer, from southern Scotland, said concerns grew after using biosolids in the past. “I became increasingly concerned that a natural by-product was becoming laced with household chemicals and industrial wastes,” they said, warning of long-term damage to soils, crops and the wider environment.
Water companies maintain that treated sludge is safe when used in line with existing regulations, and its use remains legal under current rules. However, campaigners argue that public opinion, farmer concern and emerging science now point to the need for reform.
