Dirty Business: Channel 4's answer to Mr Bates vs The Post Office uncovers the shocking truth behind Britain's sewage scandal

Peter (Jason Watkins) and Ash (David Thewlis) in Dirty Business — (Image credit: Rob Baker Ashton/Channel 4)

The following content contains references to suicide that some readers might find sensitive.

Channel 4 drama Dirty Business is being likened to the similarly shocking exposé drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

Dirty Business | Official Trailer | Channel 4 - YouTube

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Airing from February 23, the 3-part series Dirty Business depicts the true events surrounding neighbours Peter Hammond (Jason Watkins) and Ashley Smith (David Thewlis) investigating what is happening when they notice their local River Windrush change colour and the subsequent scandal their findings uncover.

Viewer reaction was immediate, and anger among those sharing their thoughts palpable. Writing on social media platform X, one viewer urged the government to take immediate action to the way Peter and Ashley's findings unrolled on screen.

They shared, "Do something now. We the UK tax payer want our money back. The environmental agency is not fit for purpose. People have died. This is murder. People need to go to jail."

Another urged the public to tune in and start spreading the message. They added, "Dirty Business is the water industry's Horizon scandal. Truly shocking just how privatisation has allowed water companies to be rinsed by hedge funds at the expense of delivering anywhere near a quality service. I implore you to watch it."

David Thewlis as Ashley Smith and Jason Watkins as Peter Hammond in Dirty Business

For more insight into what is actually happening, sewage systems can become overwhelmed during periods of heavy rain, and operators are legally allowed to release waste into rivers and seas during these times. However, they must report their actions to the Environment Agency (EA).

Dirty Business shows sewage operators failing to report sewage dumps, and the fact this happens all year, even when it isn't raining.

According to Surfers Against Sewage, in 2024 alone there were 592,478 confirmed sewage discharges, with underreporting in Scotland and Northern Ireland potentially pushing that figure be closer to 1 million.

That’s the equivalent of sewage being discharged into our waters every 30 seconds. The charity refers to sewage in UK waters as "a public health disaster," with those using their local beaches, rivers and lakes being exposed to human waste, microplastics, heavy metals, drug-resistant bacteria, and chemicals linked to cancer.

The Preen family

Dirty Business also tells the devastating story of the Preen family, who lost their daughter Heather to the consequences of sewage dumping.

In 1999, eight-year-old Heather visited a beach in Devon with her family. Heather, her sister Suzanne and parents Mark and Julie, travelled from Birmingham to stay in Devon's Dawlish Warren - an area with a Blue Flag beach.

Heather was infected by e-coli 0157 from the puddle she fell into on the seafront, developing explosive diarrhoea two weeks later.

Her infection had resulted in the life-threatening form of kidney failure, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Heather's family were then given the devastating news that HUS had caused brain damage and kidney failure, advising her parents that life support be removed. She later passed away.

Heather's parents, Mark and Julie, separated after her death, and sadly, Mark took his own life in 2016. Julie now campaigns to raise money for HUS research, and for Surfers Against Sewage.

Heather Preen (Madison Waterworth) and Mark Preen (Tom McKay) in Dirty Business

A campaigner for clean rivers shared their thoughts surrounding what happened to Heather and her family online, writing on X, "I’m just heartbroken for Heather Preen and her family. I’m in absolute tears."

"I will continue to campaign on this topic I promise. It is a national outrage the water companies must be held accountable."

Another viewer shared their reaction to Instagram, offering their take on the sad events unfolding surrounding Heather's death.

They wrote, "Absolutely heart breaking watching Dirty Business last night, that poor girl losing her life so young, how devastating for her parents and sibling."

"The poor people affected by the sheer negligence of water companies, billions paid out in shares, while the water systems collapse causing raw sewage to be continuously pumped into our rivers and seas."

"This is one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in the UK and absolutely nobody is being held accountable. Time to finally nationalise our water and take it back into public ownership, immediately."

Dirty Business airs on Channel 4 at 9pm on February 23, 24 and 25.

Lucy is a multi-award nominated writer and blogger with seven years’ experience writing about entertainment, parenting and family life. Lucy worked as a freelance writer and journalist at the likes of PS and moms.com, before joining GoodtoKnow as an entertainment writer, and then as news editor. The pull to return to the world of television was strong, and she was delighted to take a position at woman&home to once again watch the best shows out there, and tell you why you should watch them too.

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