Councils call for urgent reform of sewage sludge regulations

23/01/26

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are calling for urgent action by the Government to tighten regulations governing the spreading of sewage sludge on agricultural land, citing serious concerns for public health, farming and the environment.

Councillors at both meetings this week heard fears over evidence that sewage sludge contains a mixture of harmful contaminants, including so-called “forever chemicals” (PFAS), microplastics, pharmaceuticals and hormone-disrupting substances – many of which are not regulated or routinely tested for under current legislation dating back to 1989.

It follows growing concern in Suffolk after independent testing in late 2025 found water at a sewage sludge processing site near Wattisham air base, operated by contractors handling sludge from Thames Water, contained more than 170 times the recommended safe levels of ammonia, posing a serious threat to aquatic life in the area.

A temporary stop notice was first issued by Suffolk County Council in December 2025. The Environment Agency also made at least two visits and found the operator in breach as the site had not been sealed to prevent leachate from running into ditches, soil and groundwater.

Following this, Suffolk County Council returned this week to serve a permanent stop notice. If the operator does not appeal the order, it will have one month to clear the site.

Following support at this week’s council meetings, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are to formally recognise the risks poses by unregulated contaminants in sewage sludge and to write to the Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), urging stronger regulation to guarantee public safety.

The councils want the government to prevent chemical producers and companies from offloading commercial effluent into sewage sludge and to increase research into sustainable and safe agricultural alternatives, with Defra warning farmers of the risks of accepting sludge from water company contractors in the meantime.

Babergh’s deputy leader, Cllr Deborah Saw, said: “Recent research by the Water Industry’s Chemical Investigations Programme – a collaboration by water companies, Defra and the Environment Agency – revealed harmful substances in every sample they tested from 11 treatment works, including antibiotics, banned chemicals, antimicrobials, anti-corrosives, and hormone-damaging chemical compounds.

“We owe it to our farmers to give them the reassurance that what they are putting on their land is safe, for soil fertility and viability, farm productivity, and the crops they produce. That’s why we must urge the government to reduce the risks posed by these unregulated contaminants and support our farming community by working directly with them to encourage the use of safer alternatives.”

Cllr Daniel Pratt, Mid Suffolk’s lead member for nature recovery, added: “The success of this motion aligns with our clear commitment to nature recovery, protecting watercourses and safeguarding public health, sending a clear message to government that outdated regulatory systems are no longer compatible with the welfare of communities, farmers and the environment.”

Both councils are also keen to expand their work with ‘citizen scientists’, building on existing partnerships with local community groups monitoring contaminants in soil and water within the districts.