Singer Feargal Sharkey criticises Thames Water over sewage discharges into West Berkshire rivers
Company says it works hard to minimise storm discharges
Singer Feargal Sharkey has criticised Thames Water for "dumping" sewage into West Berkshire Rivers.
In a series of tweets the former Undertones frontman said that the company had spent 2,237 hours polluting the Lambourn and Kennet rivers.
Thames Water said that sewage discharges only happen when there is no alternative and the system was designed to prevent flooding inside and outside homes. It added that the discharges were heavily diluted by rainwater.
Mr Sharkey said: "The River Lambourn is a chalk stream, one of the rarest habitats in the world. It rises near Lambourn, Berks and is a tributary of the Kennet. You will have seen it featured on Bake Off. Only 16 miles long yet in 2019 @thameswater spent 601 hours dumping sewage into it.
"The River Kennet is a chalk stream, some of the rarest river habitat in the world. It rises in Wiltshire near Silbury and Avebury yet by the time it reaches Marlborough just 10 miles later it is already polluted. In 2019 @Thameswater
spent 1,636 hours dumping sewage into it.
"Finally by the time we get to Reading, the confluence with the Thames, 12 miles downstream from Woolhampton a further 4,628 hours worth of sewage has been dumped into the river. Running totals, 46.5 miles from source, 12,734 hours worth of sewage, equivalent of 530 whole days."
Mr Sharkey is a life-long fly fisherman and has criticised the pollution of waterways in the past.
Former Newbury MP Richard Benyon, who served as environment minister, replied: "We need to look at it this way: chalkstreams are our rainforests. Very rare precious ecosystems. ‘Some sewage’ is NOT alright. It’s just not. We are hosting COP26 next year. Get our own house in order. Now"
In response to the comments a Thames Water spokesman said: "We work hard to minimise storm discharges, while also looking at how we can improve the system for the future, including reducing groundwater infiltration and increasing capacity.
"We've also invested heavily in monitoring equipment to understand how frequently spills occur and help us plan improvements.
“We fully appreciate just how well loved the Thames and its tributaries are and why people want to use them for recreation, however they should be mindful that sewage discharges aren’t the only sources of pollutants.
“Animal faeces from livestock and wildlife, along with run off from farms and roads, also contribute to the hazards.”
Thames Water said it agreed with the total durations quoted but not the number of discharges.
