Charity Warns of Raw Sewage Discharges from London Homes into Rivers

A charity has issued a warning that raw sewage originating from a minimum of 100 residences is being discharged into London’s rivers. An Environmental Information Request (EIR) submitted by Friends of the River Crane Environment (Force) revealed, through Thames Water’s reply, that seven apartment buildings situated in north, north-west, and west London have been releasing effluent into the Crane and Brent rivers. Force attributed the “appalling” circumstances to developers and insufficient enforcement. Conversely, Thames Water stated that while property owners and developers bear responsibility, the company operates a program “to help identify and investigate misconnections.” The Environment Agency communicated that it “encourages people to report any signs of pollution or any other environmental concerns.” The affected areas where these discharges have occurred encompass Barnet, Harrow, Ealing, and Dollis and Yeading Brooks, with one particular incident recorded as early as April 2018. The information provided in the EIR response did not disclose the identities of the particular buildings or the developers involved. The discharge of raw sewage into surface water drains via misconnected pipes constitutes an unlawful act, as stipulated by Section 109 of the Water Industry Act 1991. Ben Morris, who founded the Clean Up the River Brent campaign (Curb), remarked: “It’s like going back to the mid-19th Century when there were no water treatment works.” He added: “We’ve gone back to a time when we’re no longer treating our sewage.” Morris continued: “We’re just putting it straight in rivers; certainly a proportion of it is no longer being treated at all.” Both Force and Curb confirmed that they had brought the matter to the attention of the Environment Agency. Rob Gray, a trustee for Force, stated that this issue was creating a “hidden pollution scandal” with a “public health risk and environmental impact.” He commented: “Together, thousands of these inputs across the capital are badly affecting the health of our rivers.” Gray further asserted: “For London this is probably now a bigger issue than sewage inputs from sewage treatment works.” He concluded: “In our view this type of pollution is probably the largest source of chronic pollution for London’s rivers.” Thames Water operates a Surface Water Outfall Programme (SWOP), which, according to the company, is designed to “resolve misconnections into the surface water sewers in hotspot catchments.” However, Mr. Morris indicated that this initiative was “driven by volunteer reports.” In 2023, the volume of sewage discharged by water companies into England’s lakes, rivers, and seas more than doubled. The duration, measured in hours, during which sewage was released into London’s River Thames increased by over four times in the previous year. The Royal Academy of Engineering recently advocated for an enhancement of the UK’s sewage infrastructure and more extensive monitoring of the nation’s watercourses. A spokesperson for Thames Water commented: “Households and buildings which are connected to the wrong drainage pipe can have a serious impact on the environment. The spokesperson added: “Most misconnections will have been done entirely by accident but is the responsibility of the property owner, which is why we would urge freeholders or developers fitting new connections to make sure they’re plumbed in properly.“ They further stated: “We have a programme of work to help identify and investigate misconnections and we also fund local projects across our region, which have been a great way to increase awareness of the issue, while involving communities to take stewardship and help manage their local environments.” An Environment Agency spokesperson remarked: “Misconnections are a major cause of pollution, especially in urban areas, where the high density of households and associated drainage increases the likelihood of misconnections and therefore the impact on nearby watercourses.“ They advised: “We encourage anyone who is installing a new toilet, sink, washing machine or dishwasher, to make sure their plumber is connecting them to the wastewater sewer rather than surface water drains.” A spokesperson for Ealing Council stated: “We cannot provide any further information on the specific cases cited in this report, because Thames Water has not identified which misconnections relate to different river outfalls.“ The spokesperson added: “If a misconnection has occurred and Thames Water notify us that they have failed to rectify it, we will work with them to get those responsible to reconnect their drainage systems appropriately.” Harrow Council reported that it collaborates “closely with Thames Water who provide a fast response to misconnections that are identified in Harrow.” The council further stated: “These incidents are concerning. The current system of building regulations does not provide for local authorities to undertake physical checks on new development wastewater connections. ” It concluded: “We will continue to work with our partners to advise residents and continue to deal with these issues.” Barnet Council described the situation as “unacceptable” and expressed apprehension regarding its effects on residents, biodiversity, and the immediate environment. Nevertheless, it also critiqued the “fragmented legislation” which, it claimed, permitted such occurrences. Its spokesperson remarked: “New property developments are required to submit detailed plans for the proper management of sewage to prevent such pollution. ” They continued: “However, many adaptations and conversions of existing properties take place without proper consideration and can result in these misconnections. ” The spokesperson added: “We are doing all that we can to raise awareness about this issue, including issuing advice to residents setting out how they can help by checking the water flow connections in their homes.” Further reporting was contributed by Grant Williams of the Local Democracy Reporting Service. For more content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. 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