Reassurances over suggestions that the Hurst flood could lead to sewage spreading Covid-19 have been given by Wokingham’s World Health Organisation professor and Thames Water.
Last year an academic study concluded that: “Our investigation has for the first time pointed to the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) might spread by sewage”.
WHO Covid-19 expert Professor Ben Cowling, brought up in Sonning, commented exclusively to Wokingham.Today on the A321 flood in Broadwater Lane, saying: “I think (the study’s conclusion) is still an active hypothesis, but it is not likely to be a major route of Covid-19 transmission.
“If drinking water is contaminated with sewage, I would be very concerned about public health, there could be outbreaks of various infectious diseases as a result.
“I don’t think there would be an outbreak of Covid-19 in Hurst as a result of the leak you mentioned, as I doubt that (sewage) will enter the drinking water.”
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “There is no widespread evidence that coronavirus can be spread through sewage.
In a report in March 2020, the WHO declared there was “no evidence that the Covid-19 virus has been transmitted via sewerage systems”.
The WHO had also said Covid-19 cannot survive in disinfected drinking water and has not been transmitted in this way.
“At Thames Water, we test our treated water regularly to maintain its quality,” he added.
The clean and wastewater networks were completely separated from one another so there’s no risk of sewage entering the clean network.
It is important to stress that there was no evidence that flooding in Hurst would put residents at risk of catching Covid.
Details of last year’s study are at: bit.ly/CovidSewage
