Thames Water slips off he hook on anglers demands for a River Pang clean up
Thames Water has outlined how much - and what else - it needs to do in West Berkshire.
In the most detailed written summary of activity in years, the water company has been made to answer for its actions, or lack of them, by the council’s Scrutiny Committee which meets this week (Thursday, 17 October).
Thames Water will present its report, and plans for the coming years at the meeting.
In the report, it says since 2021, there have been 41 sewage pollution incidents recorded in the district, and says £320m will be invested in West Berkshire.
That includes plans for £30 million of investment in West Berkshire to stop sewage leaking out.
It says it also plans investment to increase the treatment capacity of Newbury Treatment Works to cope with West Berkshire Council’s plans to put an extra 2,500 houses in North East Thatcham and South West Midgham.
But that it has to wait for OFWAT, the water industry regulator, to agree its five year business plan.
“Where we have identified capacity concerns for new developments, we will look to work with the developer to agree a phasing plan to align the rate of housing development with the increase in network capacity,” it says.
Every five years, Thames Water, along with the other water companies within the industry, are required to submit a business plan to set out their planned investment for the subsequent five-years.
Thames Water has had to answer around 50 questions levelled at it through previous committees.
Many relate to Stanford Dingley, Chapel Row, Newbury and the pollution of the Rivers Pang and Kennet.
Stanford Dingley regularly floods from the Thames Water sewers in the middle of the village.
Villagers in spring and winter were regularly out through the night and then the following day trying to stop the damage caused by excess sewage spewing from Thames Water manholes.
The parish council has requested for West Berkshire Council to arrange regular storm drain clearances to be reinstated throughout the village, including the roads leading into it which also flood.
Thames Water was asked when the sewage pipes to the village upstream will be protected from ground water flooding.
“We have historically completed lining of sections of foul sewer on the road to Chapel Row, close to the Boot Public House, installed manhole sealing plates on Jennetts Hill / Cock Lane, lined a section of sewer behind the Pot Kiln, sealed six manhole chambers on the section of sewer close to Magpie Farm,” it says.
“Last year we completed lining of 451m of lining and injection sealed 15 manhole chambers, from outside The Bull to the junction with [the] lane to the sewage pumping station.
“We are sealing the storm tank by the pumping station to prevent infiltration.”
Stanford Dingley has a two hour service level agreement for tankers when flooding occurs, but locals claim this is often breached by Thames Water.
In one case alone, Thames Water was accused of only arriving to pump out the pumping station two weeks after the issue.
The water company doesn’t offer much assurance.
“We prioritise where our tankers attend in relation to the impact on our customers and the environment including internal flooding, external flooding and pollutions,” it explains.
“In extreme weather conditions, we are unable to promise any area an SLA for a tanker attendance, as it will depend on other activities and priorities across the Thames Water area.”
Work in Stanford Dingley has been paused due to the rising groundwater levels.
Chapel Row sewage works regularly overflows into the River Bourne.
Thames Water says it believes that all discharges of partially treated sewage from storm overflows are unacceptable.
“There is not a quick fix to address storm overflow events, and it will require investment over a long period of time. Thames Water, along with the rest of the water industry, have a 25-year storm overflow reduction plan,” it says.
“There is an ongoing project which will increase the treatment capacity and will provide some benefit to reducing storm overflows at Chapel Row.”
Anglers have also got their oar in, so to speak.
“Having conducted over a year of water quality testing for the Angling Trust, and now with the publication of Action for River Kennet’s water quality results from the River Pang, it is clear that even when the combined sewer overflows are not spilling, there is a significant bacterial, nutrient and ammonia load going into the river on a daily basis,” they said, asking Thames Water reconsider their current refusal to implement phosphate stripping capabilities at Compton and Hampstead Norreys Sewage Treatment Works.
Thames Water says no. Largely because it doesn’t have to.
“We don’t currently have plans to invest in UV treatment or other forms of disinfection to remove the residual bacteria from the effluent from Compton or Hampstead Norreys sewage works,” it says.
“The quality and quantity of the discharge from these works is regulated by an Environmental Permit, and this permit does not impose any parameters in relation to E-coli or other bacteria.”
The company will also outline its Winter 2024/5 preparedness at Thursday’s meeting saying its customer representatives will be more available in the areas impacted by sewer flooding.
“This will however be dependent on the extent of flooding in both West Berks and the wider Thames Valley area,” it adds.
