Gloucestershire River Coln: Sewage discharge criticised

Raw sewage has been flowing into the River Coln since 23 December

Raw sewage has been dumped in rivers for weeks on end, according to a new map released online by Thames Water.

The River Coln in Gloucestershire has seen continual discharge from its sewage overflow since 23 December.

Ashley Smith from the campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution said: "This is inexcusable when they're providing a grim service."

Thames Water said it was committed to protecting rivers, and that it was spending £2bn to stop discharges.

The new online map shows discharges across the Thames Water network in real time.

According to the site, overflow at Ampney St Peter, feeding into Ampney Brook near the River Coln, has been flowing since 20 December.

The campaign group said awareness of water discharges has risen in recent years

"These discharges are chronic - every year you get heavy doses of sludge, phosphates, nitrates, chemicals and microplastics," Mr Smith said.

"These build up in the fabrics of rivers so in the summer you get algae blooms, plants being choked out and the river goes grey.

"You go from life to a grey slab of miserable looking water. The impact is profound."

'Improve river health'

Thames Water said the two Gloucestershire sites were discharging to protect sewage from backing up and flooding properties.

"After a trial in the Oxford area, we have decided to provide real-time information about storm discharges from all our permitted locations," it said.

"Our shareholders have recently approved a business plan that sees us spending an additional £2bn beyond what our customers are funding so we can improve outcomes for leakage and river health"

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