Mismanagement of wastewater and sewage is a serious public health concern and heightens the threat of AMR. Storm overflows involve sewage getting into waterways such as rivers. They increase the prevalence and diversity of resistant pathogens in the environment and are a serious public health concern. In 2016, 862 storm overflow sites were monitored for spills, and they averaged 15 spill events in the year each. By 2023, the number of storm overflow sites monitored had increased to around 14,...

Mismanagement of wastewater and sewage is a serious public health concern and heightens the threat of AMR. Storm overflows involve sewage getting into waterways such as rivers. They increase the prevalence and diversity of resistant pathogens in the environment and are a serious public health concern. In 2016, 862 storm overflow sites were monitored for spills, and they averaged 15 spill events in the year each. By 2023, the number of storm overflow sites monitored had increased to around 14,000, and they averaged 33 spill events each in the year. However, information on AMR in the environment and how it is affected by the UK’s management of Type: conclusion | Number: 8 | Response status: accepted Government response: The department agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. on 21 July 2025. It recommends making public health a statutory objective for water companies and highlights their role in tackling antimicrobial resistance through better wastewater management. It also recommen