“Dirty Business tells the truth the water industry has spent thirty years trying to bury.”
A powerful new three-part docudrama, Dirty Business, has aired on Channel 4 this week, pulling back the curtain on the scale and consequences of sewage pollution in the UK. Many surfers have long suspected the depth of the issue — but the series lays bare just how far it reaches. The result is confronting, emotional and essential viewing.
Watch all three episodes here:
To mark the broadcast, Channel 4 installed “The Fountain of Filth” on London’s South Bank — a provocative public artwork depicting figures vomiting brown water — underscoring the urgency of the crisis explored in the programme.
The reality behind the series is ongoing. According to Surfers Against Sewage, more than 124,000 hours of sewage discharge were recorded in England’s designated bathing waters during 2025. The charity also logged 1,236 cases of illness linked to water use, with 74% of those incidents occurring at beaches rated “good” or “excellent” by the Environment Agency.
Giles Bristow, Chief Executive of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Dirty Business tells the truth the water industry has spent thirty years trying to bury. A girl is dead. Thousands are still getting sick.”
