‘Super sewer’ needs to be twice as big to stop waste spilling into Thames
3 years, 2 months ago

‘Super sewer’ needs to be twice as big to stop waste spilling into Thames

The Telegraph  

A planned "super sewer" would need to be twice as big to stop waste spilling into Thames, a water boss has said. Sarah Bentley, the Thames Water chief executive, admitted to MPs that her company's performance was "unacceptable" as it continues to dump millions of tonnes of raw sewage in the river each year. The £4.9bn sewage tunnel, the width of three double decker buses, will lower the volume of untreated sewage mixed with rainwater entering the river from almost 40 million tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes per year so will not reduce it to nothing, she told a meeting of the Environmental Audit Committee. Water companies dumped untreated sewage into rivers in England 400,000 times last year, Environment Agency figures show, as sewers which combine rainwater and household waste overflow and contaminate the environment.

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History of this topic

Water companies 'lied over sewage discharges'
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Water companies 'lied over sewage discharges'

China Daily  

A drone view shows Mogden sewage treatment works, owned by Thames Water, in west London, Britain on July 9. It is alleged that the companies, including the largest, Thames Water, which has around 15 million customers, have under-reported the number of sewage discharges to the water industry regulator Ofwat, enabling them to charge customers higher bills, with Reuters reporting that …

British water firms fined for sewage pollution
4 months, 2 weeks ago

British water firms fined for sewage pollution

China Daily  

A van for the water treatment company Thames Water, is driven along a residential street in Guildford, southern England, Aug 6, 2024. Three major water utility companies in the United Kingdom face 168 million pounds in fines for numerous illegal sewage releases into rivers and coastal waters. Ofwat stated that the water companies "failed to ensure that discharges of untreated …

Sewage spills are STILL rising in the UK with companies failing to get crisis under control, Environment Agency warns in damning report
5 months ago

Sewage spills are STILL rising in the UK with companies failing to get crisis under control, Environment Agency warns in damning report

Daily Mail  

Sewage spills are still rising in the UK with water companies failing to get the crisis under control, the Environment Agency has warned in a damning report The agency said there were 47 serious pollution incidents last year – up from 44 in 2022. Shocking photos from August 2022 showed how Lake Windermere in the Lake District turned bright green …

Thames Water could dump more sewage in rivers under ‘recovery regime’
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Thames Water could dump more sewage in rivers under ‘recovery regime’

The Telegraph  

Thames Water and other struggling utility companies will be allowed to release more sewage into Britain’s rivers under controversial plans being drawn up by regulators. Ofwat, the industry watchdog, is reportedly considering a new “recovery regime” for troubled water suppliers, similar to the special measures system imposed on failing schools. It comes ahead of the summer period, when water companies …

Sadiq Khan boldly declares that he will make the Thames 'swimmable' in 10 years amid public fury at five-fold increase in sewage being dumped in the river
8 months ago

Sadiq Khan boldly declares that he will make the Thames 'swimmable' in 10 years amid public fury at five-fold increase in sewage being dumped in the river

Daily Mail  

Sadiq Khan has boldly declared that he will make the Thames 'swimmable' in 10 years amid public fury at the five-fold increase in sewage being dumped in the river. However, Khan's claim will prove challenging as his own analysis, which was published earlier this year, showed an almost five-fold increase in the duration of sewage spills in London last year. …

Thames Water sewage leak in picture postcard village lasted for 53 DAYS before finally stopping...and then starting again hours later: Locals say decade-long crisis has 'killed everything in the river
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Thames Water sewage leak in picture postcard village lasted for 53 DAYS before finally stopping...and then starting again hours later: Locals say decade-long crisis has 'killed everything in the river

Daily Mail  

Thames Water dumped raw sewage into a brook in a picture postcard Oxfordshire village for 1,275 hours straight in an ongoing crisis that has 'killed everything in the river', locals claim. Email [email protected] Untreated wastewater has spilled into Mill Brook, in South Moreton, near Didcot almost every day over the past two months The continuous leaks of untreated sewage into …

Revealed: Idyllic Cotswolds village where shamed Thames Water has been leaking sewage into its river for 338 HOURS straight and counting - as families fear putrid water is poisoning their dogs, killin
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Revealed: Idyllic Cotswolds village where shamed Thames Water has been leaking sewage into its river for 338 HOURS straight and counting - as families fear putrid water is poisoning their dogs, killin

Daily Mail  

Thames Water has been leaking raw sewage into a river in an idyllic Cotswolds village for 338 hours straight - and it is still spewing filth, MailOnline can reveal. E-mail: [email protected] Thames Water has been leaking raw sewage into a river in the idyllic Cotswolds village of Bledington for 338 hours straight 'Disgusting': Ruth Gorton, assistant manager of the Kings …

Sewage spills from storm overflows in 2023, by water company
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Sewage spills from storm overflows in 2023, by water company

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Here are the latest figures for sewage spills from storm overflows in England, broken down …

Thames Water dumped ‘millions of litres’ of sewage near Gatwick Airport river killing more than 1,000 fish
1 year, 5 months ago

Thames Water dumped ‘millions of litres’ of sewage near Gatwick Airport river killing more than 1,000 fish

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thames Water pumped an estimated …

Thames Water fined £3.3m for ‘reckless’ sewage dump
1 year, 5 months ago

Thames Water fined £3.3m for ‘reckless’ sewage dump

The Telegraph  

Thames Water has been handed a £3.3m fine for a “reckless” incident in which millions of litres of undiluted sewage were pumped into rivers near Gatwick Airport in 2017. Judge Christine Laing KC said on Tuesday that she believed Thames Water had shown a deliberate attempt to mislead the Environment Agency over the incident, such as by omitting water readings …

London super sewer ‘will open’ despite Thames Water woes
1 year, 5 months ago

London super sewer ‘will open’ despite Thames Water woes

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy It is “inconceivable” that Thames Water’s financial woes will derail London’s new super sewer, according …

Emergency plans ‘drawn up for Thames Water collapse’ as water firm racks up £14bn debt
1 year, 5 months ago

Emergency plans ‘drawn up for Thames Water collapse’ as water firm racks up £14bn debt

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Sarah Bentley was paid £1.6mn despite giving up bonus Environment minister Rebecca Pow told …

More than 3,000 storm overflows regularly dumped sewage into waterways last year
1 year, 8 months ago

More than 3,000 storm overflows regularly dumped sewage into waterways last year

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The party’s analysis of Environment Agency data found that 3,276 storm overflows were classed …

Britishers Urged to Stay Away from Beaches as Sewage Spills onto English Channel, North Sea
2 years, 3 months ago

Britishers Urged to Stay Away from Beaches as Sewage Spills onto English Channel, North Sea

News 18  

EU lawmakers have a new, post-Brexit reason to be annoyed with the UK: British sewage overflows seeping into the English Channel and the North Sea. “The English Channel and the North Sea are not dumping grounds,” said Stephanie Yon-Courtin, a member of the European Parliament’s fishing committee and a local lawmaker in Normandy. “We have already made it law for …

British sewage overflows stink up relations across Channel
2 years, 3 months ago

British sewage overflows stink up relations across Channel

Associated Press  

PARIS — EU lawmakers have a new, post-Brexit reason to be annoyed with the U.K.: British sewage overflows seeping into the English Channel and the North Sea. The problem is a long-running issue in Britain, where regulators are investigating possible permit violations by six major water companies and environmental groups allege the firms have failed to make needed repairs. “We …

Wastewater firms miss targets for tackling pollution or sewage floods
2 years, 4 months ago

Wastewater firms miss targets for tackling pollution or sewage floods

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “No amount of financial penalties can undo the damage caused by wastewater companies polluting the environment or ease the …

Families face extra £60 a year on their bills to fix leaky sewers
2 years, 8 months ago

Families face extra £60 a year on their bills to fix leaky sewers

Daily Mail  

Households will have to pay an extra £60 a year on water bills to pay to fix Britain’s creaking Victorian sewage system – despite water company bosses pocketing millions each year. Water companies dumped sewage more than 370,000 times into rivers last year for a duration of a staggering 2.6million hours. Today, we are setting specific targets to ensure that …

Water firms admit pumping raw sewage into UK rivers and seashores 1,000 times a day
2 years, 8 months ago

Water firms admit pumping raw sewage into UK rivers and seashores 1,000 times a day

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Water companies have admitted to discharging raw sewage into England’s rivers, estuaries and seas around …

Sewage discharges into UK’s rivers and beaches soar by 88 per cent in 12 months
3 years ago

Sewage discharges into UK’s rivers and beaches soar by 88 per cent in 12 months

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Raw sewage pumped into Britain’s rivers and coastal waters by water companies has increased dramatically …

Water industry calls for cleaner ‘bathing rivers’ for wild swimmers amid sewage pollution fears
3 years, 2 months ago

Water industry calls for cleaner ‘bathing rivers’ for wild swimmers amid sewage pollution fears

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Campaigners are calling for tougher restrictions on sewage pollution in public waters, as water companies flood …

'Rivercide': Why are we flooding British waterways with sewage?
3 years, 5 months ago

'Rivercide': Why are we flooding British waterways with sewage?

The Telegraph  

When Professor Peter Hammond first moved to his house – a converted watermill on the banks of the Windrush in Oxfordshire – 20 years ago, the river teemed with life. But a few years ago, Prof Hammond, a mathematician who has spent the past two decades working at University College London’s Institute of Child Health and Oxford University’s Big Data …

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