Council votes unanimously 'no confidence' in Thames Water

Henley Town Council makes a unanimous vote of no confidence in Thames Water

A council has voted “no confidence” in a water company due to the condition of the River Thames.

Henley Town Council voted in what is believed to be one of the first votes of no confidence against Thames Water.

Campaigners say the “rivers are choking in faeces” and water companies need to be held “accountable for this unacceptable dumping of sewage.”

A spokesperson for Thames Water said they have planned “a major upgrade of the Henley sewage treatment works, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2026.”

Earlier this year, rowers took part in the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge in London but they were told not to enter the Thames after high levels of E.coli were found.

Mayor of Henley-On-Thames and town councillor for Fairmile, Rory Hunt said he has lots of friends involved in rowing and swimming clubs across the area and he has heard of the “terrible conditions they have faced with our waterways.”

He said: “Our waterways are being spoiled by sewage dumping and something urgent needs to be done.”

Laura Reineke from Henley Mermaids said: "our rivers are precious"

Laura Reineke from Henley Mermaids said they have campaigned for the last two years and said “it’s imperative that we push this epically mismanaged water company to clean up its act.”

She said: "The effects of sewage dumping on our rivers is devastating."

Jim Snelling from Henley Boat Company said the discharge into the River Thames that he has seen is “absolutely disgusting.”

He said: “We have lots of stats, figures and facts but our children are getting ill we saw this last year.

“We’ve got world class Olympians training and we encourage them to get into the river, to get fit and to enjoy the environment when our rivers are like this with sewage.”

“We are a big tourist attraction, with the Regatta, and our stretch of the river is polluted,” he added.

Henley has a reputation for its rivers and has become a tourist attraction

Kate Oldridge, chair of Greener Henley said: “Our community faces severe challenges, particularly with our quality and management of our water.”

She said: “Our rivers, once the life blood of our community, have been choked and fouled with sewage, this is not just an environment issue, it’s a public health crisis and a blatant disregard for our communities wellbeing.

“Thames Water has repeatedly failed to meet its obligations resulting in the pollution of our precious rivers and streams.”

Deputy Mayor, councillor Tom Buckley said: “I think the public has made it quite clear that we have a river that is not fit for use.”

He added: “Thames Water has a responsibility to this town and every other town and it’s up to them to try and deliver good quality service… we have to look at Thames Water and say they are not doing good enough for us in this town.”

Thames Water has said it wants to raise bills by 44% over the next five years so it can "provide investment" into enviromental measures.

However research has suggested firms such as Thames Water have paid out billions of pounds to shareholders, while failing to invest in infastructure.