A COUNCILLOR has accused Thames Water of allowing sewage to flow into Foundry Brook multiple times during 2021.
Green councillor for Katesgrove, Doug Cresswell, said he was concerned about Reading Sewage Works, run by Thames Water, dumping untreated sewage into the brook for a total of 50 hours during 2021, on six separate occasions.
“We have had residents on Elgar Road, which backs onto the River Kennet, complaining about the smell in the river behind their houses.
“We need more action from Thames Water to tackle the dumping of raw sewage into our rivers in Reading and across the country – we want fish not faeces.”
The Foundry Brook discharges into the River Kennet, and the Kennet and Avon Canal as a result.
Thames Water says on its website that putting untreated sewage into rivers is “unacceptable to us, to our customers, and the environment.”
Despite this, it says also that it is “sometimes necessary” after heavy rain to prevent flooding.
Cllr Cresswell continued: “It is utterly shameful that water bosses are taking home millions of pounds of pay and bonuses a year while their companies lay siege to our natural environment by dumping raw sewage into our waterways.
“Thames Water needs to invest more money to eliminate raw sewage overflowing into our rivers.”
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We are committed to protecting and enhancing all our rivers and the communities who love them and want to make these discharges unnecessary as quickly as possible.
“We agree that the Foundry Brook and River Kennet should run with clean water at all times.
“We regard all discharges of untreated sewage as unacceptable and will work with the government, Ofwat and the Environment Agency to accelerate work to stop them being necessary and are determined to be transparent.”
A report from the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs released back in November 2021 showed that The Environment Agency launched a major investigation into sewage treatment works in the UK, working with the utilities regulator Ofwat.
This followed a £4 million fine issued to Thames Water in the same month for discharging an estimated half a million litres of raw sewage into streams in Oxford back in 2016.
It was estimated that sewage had flown into the streams for around 30 hours in that incident.
Between 2017 and 2021, Thames Water accrued £32.4 million of fines over 11 separate incidents.
Thames Water recently launched its commitments to river health, which it says include “a 50% reduction in the total annual duration of spills across London and the Thames Valley by 2030, and within that an 80% reduction in sensitive catchments”.
“We have a long way to go – and we certainly can’t do it on our own – but the ambition is clear.”
For more information about Thames Water’s action on river health, visit: www.thameswater.co.uk.
