Councillor to demand action on raw sewage in Bucks rivers

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Tuesday, 23 November 2021 07:00

By Sam Dean

A motion is set to be brought before Buckinghamshire Council on Wednesday seeking to reduce the amount of raw sewage being pumped into the county’s waterways.

In the motion, councillor Robin Stuchbury will ask the Council to back his demands that a written letter of concern be sent to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and to all of Buckinghamshire’s MPs.

Speaking to Bucks Radio, Mr Stuchbury said: “It cannot be right, can it, that sewage is still being dumped into all the major rivers in Buckinghamshire,” adding, “this has never been so important and it will also be interesting to know what our MPs’ views are on this in light of the recent vote in Parliament.”

Last month all six Buckinghamshire MPs voted against an amendment to the Government’s Environment Bill that would have placed legal obligations on water companies to reduce the amount of sewage entering our rivers and streams.

Water companies are allowed some overflows of sewage into rivers during heavy rainfalls in order to prevent flooding in towns and villages.

Campaigners say that not enough is being done to update how the country manages sewage, with pushback centering largely around costs.

Environment Agency research shows that sewage was discharged into the country’s rivers over 400,000 times last year, including over 18,000 by Thames Water.

Mr Stuchbury’s motion, seconded by councillor Stuart Wilson, will also ask the Cabinet member for Climate Change and Environment to seek assurances from water companies that they will invest in improvements to their systems that allow for a reduction in the amount of sewage being discharged into the county’s rivers.

At The Rivers Trust, a charity that seeks to save our rivers, you can see on an interactive map where and how much sewage enters waterways where you live: Is My River Fit To Play In?

[PICTURE BELOW: Where sewage has been discharged into waterways in Aylesbury Vale]

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