CONCERNED about the Government’s recent vote on sewage discharge? Write to Matt Rodda.
The Reading East MP says he wants to hear from constituents amid concerns that the planned revision to the current policy doesn’t go far enough.
“The government has made concessions on sewage, but a whole range of bodies are still concerned,” he said. “All the Government is legislating for is a slow reduction, letting companies make small changes each year (to the amount of sewage discharged into rivers).
“The government’s wording is a ‘progressive reduction’. All it means is a very small change each year. It doesn’t say how much better it would get.
“We don’t think that’s good enough.”
He added: “Please get in touch with me, we will be looking at the impact sewage, and sewage treatment stations. There’s a number of them on the Thames.”
Mr Rodda said he wanted to discuss with Thames Water some of the issues, including whether greater capacity could be created at sewage plants so that if there is an incident, such as a sudden storm that causes flooding, it wouldn’t lead to more raw sewage ending up in rivers.
“The Government needs to put more pressure on the water companies,” he added.
However, Thames Water has sought to reassure residents that it is doing all it can to mitigate any discharges.
Last month, it was fined £4 million at Aylesbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to a pollution incident in Oxfordshire in 2016.
Richard Aylard, Thames Water’s sustainability director, said: “We are deeply sorry for this incident in 2016 and the entirely unacceptable pollution that was caused to the Seacourt Stream, following a blockage of our sewer.
“We pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and accept the judgment of the Court that we failed badly by not inspecting and cleaning this part of the sewer system.
“But things have changed. As part of the comprehensive turnaround programme launched by our new Chief Executive we are doing five times as much sewer cleaning as we were in 2016.
“Our view is that it’s unacceptable for untreated sewage to enter rivers, even when legally permitted, and we have an unprecedented amount of investment directed towards safeguarding our rivers and streams, including spending more than £1.25 billion at our sewage treatment works during our current five-year business plan.”
The company says that the reason why discharges happen can vary according to location. It could be caused by rainwater overwhelming sewers, blockages in the network, or the treatment sites not having enough capacity.
Reading’s sewage treatment works is one of the newer sites in Thames Water’s network, opening in 2005. It is designed to cope with a flow of 4,000 litres per second and is one of the most advanced in the country. On completion it ended the Whitley Whiff, thanks to odour control measures in place. The Blake’s Lock pumping station is instrumental to its working, helping keep the waste moving.
Waste undergoes a special process to filtrate it. Sludge – organic solids of human waste – is pumped to four 20m high egg-shaped anaerobic digesters, killing off harmful pathogens in the water and creating biogas. This can be fed into the National Grid, creating energy from waste.
The site works around the clock to help treat the region’s waste.
However, new housing developments being connected to the mains can put increased pressure on infrastructure. As populations grow, and the number of developments increase, there are concerns that this could make sewer flooding and storm overflows more likely.
The water industry is calling for government to take steps to amend the “right to connect” – where homes are plugged into the sewer network – with a duty on developers to do more to keep surface water separate from waste water.
The industry adds that it is vital that any connections are made as part of a strategic plan to ease the burden on sewers as well as a greater use of sustainable drainage solutions such as ponds and swales to keep surface water out of sewers in the first place.
And residents can help by maintaining some permeable or green space on their properties rather and having front and rear gardens completely paved over.
This helps reduce surface water running off into the sewers and filling them up by allowing it to naturally soak down into the ground.
One of the schemes that Thames Water is exploring is funding sustainable urban drainage solutions (SUDS) in the region, working with local authorities to reduce the amount of surface water entering the sewers.
To reduce groundwater infiltrating the system through cracks in the pipes or where two sections of pipe are joined together, Thames Water reline pipes with a plastic liners that are slid inside the pipe and then set hard, forming a watertight inner lining, keeping groundwater out.
On blockages, Thames Water has a huge programme of work to inspect and clean sewers, especially in blockage hotspot areas. The firm says it is using high-tech monitors to track where there may be blockages in the network and clear them before they impact customers.
There are more things that residents can do, including saving fat and oil for the doorstep food waster collection rather than pouring down the sink. It is important not to flush anything other than human waste and loo roll: wipes, sanitary products, condoms and nappies should be disposed of in waste collections.
Keeping the sewers clear of blockages means more capacity in them, meaning they don’t fill up as quickly and therefore overflows or discharges are less likely.
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Our aim will always be to try and do the right thing for rivers and for the communities who love and value them. By working with local partners we’re actively listening to our customers, who want us to do more. Our planned investment in our sewer network and upgrading sewage treatment works across our region will help improve the situation and we are looking carefully at using nature-based solutions to address the challenge ahead.
“It’s our view that discharges of untreated sewage are simply unacceptable, even when they are legally permitted, and we support the measures in the bill that will reduce storm overflows. We’ll work with the government, Ofwat and the Environment Agency to accelerate work to stop untreated discharges being necessary.
“We have a long way to go – and we certainly can’t do it on our own – but the ambition is clear.”
