Thames Water revealed to have continually discharged sewage into River Thames

Source: Wikimedia

Private water company Thames Water has polluted the River Thames with at least 72 billion litres of sewage since 2020, as revealed by data obtained last week. 

According to the information provided by Thames Water under a Freedom of Information request issued by the Liberal Democrats, Mogden near Twickenham is the worst-impacted site, having seen 17.1 billion litres of sewage discharged into the area over the past two years. The worst year on record appears to be 2021, in which at least 32 billion litres were released. However, as the sewage monitors used by the company do not cover its entire network, it is highly likely that the actual volume of sewage discharged is far higher than that measured.

The Liberal Democrats have heavily condemned the actions of Thames Water, with MP Munira Wilson calling for the company to be ‘ripped up’ in the face of such ‘horrifying revelations’. She has also criticised the Conservative government for their inaction concerning water pollution.

‘It is outrageous that Conservative ministers continue to sit on their hands and let Thames Water get away with this,’ she said. ‘The government is standing idly by whilst our rivers are poisoned and water firm execs pocket millions.’

Thames Water has a monopoly over water supply and wastewater treatment in London and other areas surrounding the Thames Valley, such as Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Like all nine other water firms in the UK, it is under no legal obligation to reveal its sewage discharge practices; earlier this year in August, it refused to disclose the amount of sewage pumped into rivers despite receiving a request from the Liberal Democrats. 

Despite its reticence towards its disposal practices, Thames Water is known to have polluted rivers repeatedly in the past and has previously faced prosecution for its discharges. In July, the company was fined £3.34m for pumping raw, untreated sewage into rivers near Gatwick. The illegal discharge killed 1,700 fish. In the summer of 2022, it was involved in an inquiry conducted by regulator Ofwat regarding its potential illegal dumping of sewage.

In response to the criticism from the Liberal Democrats, the company has cited plans to improve its sewage treatment facilities. 

‘What matters most is stopping the need for discharges and we have published plans to upgrade over 250 of our sewage treatment works and sewers,’ claimed an anonymous spokesperson from Thames Water.