In November last year the ground-breaking Environment Act became law, creating a new framework for managing and protecting our natural environment and setting new legal targets for air and water quality.
At the time, there was a significant political row about whether the Act went far enough to protect the quality of our waterways. It was said that it failed to offer sufficient protection against storm overflows emitting sewage discharges into our waterways: an issue that is of particular salience in West Berkshire with our three nationally significant chalk rivers and streams, the Lambourn, the Kennet and the Pang. Data from the Rivers Trust shows that one storm overflow in Hampstead Norreys spilled for a total of 2622 hours in 2021 and at East Shefford the storm overflow spilled for 1424 hours throughout last year. With each discharge harmful effluent flows into the water course, posing a significant risk to water quality and public health.
However, as a result of the Act, utility companies (including Thames Water) must now publish their plans for managing and developing their drainage and sewerage system over the next 25-years and beyond, including how they will reduce and eliminate storm overflow discharges.
In anticipation of this I wrote to the Thames Water asking them what steps they would be taking and over what timeframe. In their response, received earlier this week, they confirmed that all sewage discharges are unacceptable and only happen when Sewage Treatment Works reach capacity – usually during storms.
They wrote: “Eliminating these discharges is not going to be quick, easy, or inexpensive and we welcome the continued support of our customers and regulators, who are as passionate about this topic as we are, as well as extensive collaboration with local communities and other stakeholders, to achieve the cleaner rivers we all want to see.”
Thames Water told me they have set a series of commitments to reduce sewage discharges, which include increased funding commitments and partnerships. However, two of which I want to specifically draw to your attention:
- First, a commitment to a 50% reduction in the total annual duration of storm overflows across London and the Thames Valley by 2030, and within that an 80% reduction in sensitive catchments which includes the Kennet and the Pang.
- Second, a commitment to provide live sewage discharge notifications at all potential 468 overflow points by the end of 2022.
In order to support these commitments, I will be working with Action on the River Kennet (“ARK”) this summer to monitor water quality locally, including on the Pang, one of the worst affected water courses in West Berkshire, and at other critical points. This way we will hold Thames Water’s feet to the fire as to whether it is successfully reducing sewage discharges and whether its reporting is accurate.
By ensuring that Thames Water is directly accountable to my constituents – both through its own reporting and our independent water monitoring, we can work collectively to improve water quality in West Berkshire’s treasured chalk streams in the years ahead.