Severn Trent's £800m fund targets pollution issues

Sites across Worcestershire will receive additional investment, according to Severn Trent Water

Untreated waste going into Midlands rivers is to be tackled with an £800m investment, Severn Trent Water has said.

It comes after concerns were raised over phosphate not being removed from waste at the firm's Diglis treatment plant in Worcester.

According to Environment Agency data, untreated waste was discharged into the river 81 times during 2023.

On Sunday, thousands of people from across the Midlands will be joining forces to highlight the importance of clean water in their lives.

The firm said it was reducing its impact "quickly" and remained committed to helping to improve the health of rivers.

However, campaigner Glyn Marshall said he had seen a huge impact on the river and believed it could "die" unless action was taken, with the impact on fish and other creatures had been significant.

The angler showed the BBC data from his own testing, showing what he claimed was waste water going into the river on dry days.

The practice of discharging sewage on days when it was not raining is known as "dry spilling".

It is banned because it can lead to higher concentrations of sewage in waterways.

Glyn Marshall has fished the River Severn for many years

Mr Marshall said: "Unless something is done quickly, I fear that the fish living in the river will be drastically reduced. I'm worried that some of the bigger species won't be here within five years."

Severn Trent Water said it worked closely with citizen scientists, but one-off tests were not always reliable.

"All of our spill data is shared with the Environment Agency and we continue to be completely open and transparent while continuing to reduce spills and improve river health," a spokesperson said.

Concerns have been raised that phosphate isn’t being removed from waste at the Diglis treatment plant

The company added it was set to spend £100m improving 23 of its sites in Worcestershire.

"We’re reducing our impact on the River Severn quickly, as we’re investing more and progressing faster than any other water company," the spokesperson continued.

“While there’s many factors make up river health, we have invested heavily in phosphate removal across our sites that feed into the River Severn and are investing a further £24m specifically at our treatment works in Diglis on more phosphate removal."

Campaigners are urging authorities to take action against the people and companies polluting rivers, lakes and seas.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed says he "shares the public's anger on this issue".