A drone photo shows algae on a stream fed by water from a sewage treatment works, next to the River Thames in Slough, southern England, Britain, December 11, 2024. The pumping of sewage into rivers and seas has become a major scandal in Britain. Privatised water companies have been accused of prioritising dividends over investment and dumping sewage in waterways when its ailing infrastructure cannot cope. The pollution has deterred wild water swimmers, angered surfers, prompted warnings about toxic blue-green algal blooms in lakes and created an army of people who have become experts on water quality after they noticed changes in waterways. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez