Berkshire: River Pang receives poor ecological status due to sewage

The River Pang has been declining in ecological status since 2019

A chalk stream has been downgraded to "poor" ecological status by the Environment Agency due to "sewage discharge".

The River Pang in Berkshire is one of only 260 chalk streams in the world and flows into the River Thames.

The Environment Agency recorded over 40 hours of sewage spills last month and has seen "a steady decline" in water quality.

Thames Water said tackling discharges "will take time and investment".

The River Pang has gone from "good" in 2014-2016 to "moderate" in 2019, to the latest status of "poor".

The data in the report is based on last year's Environment Agency records - where it recorded 17 "serious water-quality pollution incidents", the highest number since 2013.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "A live investigation is ongoing into the ecological decline of the River Pang to poor, under the Water Framework Directive classifications.

"Polluting our rivers and seas is unacceptable and we are improving how we regulate the sector - with more officers focused on regulation, more compliance checks and increased investment."

They added: "We are determined to work with partners to protect and provide cleaner, healthier waters, which people rightly expect."

Peter Devery, secretary of Tidmarsh fishing club said: "It is time to hold the company [Thames Water] to full legal account and urgently restore rivers like the Pang."

The recent rating follows months of ongoing discharge from Thames Water at Hampstead Norreys which released sewage into the river for over 1,000 hours during April and May 2023 and over 40 hours during August 2023.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: "Taking action to improve the health of rivers is a key focus

"However, there were no discharges of untreated sewage from our Hampstead Norreys, Pangbourne and Compton sites in 2022.

"Addressing discharges will take time and sustained investment, however each step we take on this journey is a move in the right direction."