Water tank expected to reduce sewage spills by 99%

Alex Chalk said: “The latest data shows that the engineering solution is working"

The installation of a “colossal holding tank” could reduce sewage spillages into a river by 99%.

New figures show wastewater was pumped into the River Chelt in Gloucestershire for 533 hours last year.

Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk believes his intervention to get a £500,000 “engineering solution” for the combined overflow pipe, which lies between Charlton Kings and Dunkertons Cider, will lead to a big reduction in sewage spills at that location.

"After decades during which the issue was not addressed, this means a cleaner, greener River Chelt for all," he said.

However, Max Wilkinson, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham, said it was a “complete scandal” that filthy sewage was being pumped into the town’s rivers and waterways.

Max Wilkinson said: “It beggars belief that Conservative MPs have allowed water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism"

Mr Chalk said: “Thanks to the support of thousands of Cheltonians, Severn Trent conceded and agreed to a major engineering project, in effect a colossal holding tank to cater for periods of heavy rain, to address the issue."

He explained the work was completed in January and had so far proved successful.

Andrew Fairburn at Severn Trent said: “We identified a problem at Dowdeswell and we worked with Alex on a major investment programme to fix the problem and we expect it to reduce spills by around 99% year to year.”

Recent data showed sewage was pumped into the Chelt at the combined sewage overflow in St Peters Park.

Figures also suggest sewage from Dowdeswell overflow was being pumped into the Chelt for ten times longer in 2023 than in 2022 from the site.

Elsewhere in Cheltenham, sewage was pumped into the Mill Stream in Prestbury on more than 50 days, the Hatherley Brook in Benhall on eight days and Cottage Rake Avenue into Wymans Brook on two days.

“The January 2023 spike in spills was due to an upstream blockage, which was cleared January 2023," said Mr Chalk, explaining this was before the new tank was installed.

'Complete scandal'

The Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham, Max Wilkinson, said: “People are furious that Conservative politicians blocked tougher action on these disgraced firms."

He added that the Liberal Democrats were "calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local rivers including replacing OfWat with a regulator that has real teeth to clamp down on these polluting firms".

“We have also called for a ban on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.”

Mr Chalk explained the combined overflow system, when rainwater flows into the sewage network, is not unique to the UK.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Similar arrangements are in place across Europe, including in Denmark and Germany.