Raw sewage into the Thames

THAMES Water looks like getting its biggest ever fine after it was discovered pumping millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Thames.

The company has admitted it pumped untreated sewage, polluting the river, and other offences at sewage facilities in both Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, Alan Tilbury reveals.

Complete disregard

This was by no means a single incident but had been going on during 2013 and 2014, and it is only now that the sheer extent of its complete disregard has been investigated and brought to light.

The amount of raw sewage purposely pumped into the Thames caused incalculable damage to fish and wildlife in addition to the risk of causing illnesses, but not only the sewage but such as nappies too were seen floating on the surface of the river.

Extensive environmental damage

It was stated at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday that the sewage had resulted in hundreds of dead fish, manholes disgorging sewage and it spilling into nature reserves, with extensive environmental damage in the riverside towns of Henley and Marlow.

Altogether there were four Thames Water Utilities Ltd sewage treatment works where sewage was allowed into the river at Aylesbury, Didcot, Henley and Little Marlow, in addition to a large sewage pumping system at Littlemore in Oxford.