MORE than half of water workers have endured a surge in abuse following an increase in sewage spills by profiteering water companies.

In a survey of 1,300 workers by the GMB union, published today, staff reported incidents of hostility, including machete attacks, while many said they felt unsafe working alone.

Half of those surveyed attributed the increase in abuse to reports of sewage being dumped, as well as increased pollution.

GMB national officer Gary Carter said: “No-one should go to work and face abuse, but this situation is horrifying, because the negligent actions of water bosses in allowing sewage dumping to rocket has exposed their own workers to physical and verbal violence.

“GMB demands a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of water workers and calls on water shareholders to fork out for the desperately needed infrastructure to stop record sewage spills.”

Last week, the Environment Agency reported that there had been 3.6 million hours of raw sewage discharges into rivers and seas in 2023, more than double the figure for the previous year.