Thames Water convicted of illegal raw sewage discharge into fishing lake and on to land in Newbury and Thatcham

Thames Water has been convicted of illegally discharging raw sewage into West Berkshire waterways and on to adjoining land.

The affected sites include a Newbury fishing lake, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Moor Stream which feeds into local water meadows.

The utilities giant, based in Clearwater Court, Vastern Road, Reading, pleaded guilty in February and is due to be sentenced at Reading Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday, September 18).

Specifically, Thames Water Utilities admitted contravening an environmental permit by knowingly allowing discharge of sewage effluent into the Moor Stream, into Hambridge Lake and into the Kennet and Avon Canal in Thatcham.

That offence was committed contrary to regulations 12(1), 38(1)(a) and 39(1) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 between March 3, 2018 and October 15, 2020.

The company further admitted a similar offence by knowingly causing the depositing of controlled waste - namely, “raw, untreated sewage and rag”, in or on land near Hambridge Lake and the Moor Stream in Thatcham, including external flooding, contrary to section 33(1)(a), (6) and (8) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 between the same dates.

Both offences contravene the terms of a waste management permit issued under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The maximum penalty for each offence is 12 months imprisonment or an unlimited fine.

In March, The Guardian newspaper reported that a record 50 per cent more raw sewage was discharged into rivers in England by Thames Water last year compared with the previous 12 months.