River sewage pipe plan a mistake, water firm boss says

Chief executive Lawrence Gosden said the plan was "a mistake" and he "intervened to stop it"

A water firm boss has admitted it was a mistake to plan to pump diluted sewage into a renowned chalk stream.

Residents and anglers, including The Crown actor James Murray, protested after Southern Water installed overland pipes near the River Test in Hampshire.

In a letter to a parish council, the firm's chief executive Lawrence Gosden said: "It was a mistake to do so and I intervened to stop it."

He said the pipes, to test "readiness for an emergency", had been removed.

Actor James Murray, who lives near the River Test, said the plan "beggared belief"

Mr Murray, a fly-fishing enthusiast, previously described the plan to ease pressure on the sewerage system as "sacrilegious".

He said: "It beggars belief. When we have heavy rain like we've had recently, the sewage infrastructure can't cope.

"The obvious question is, didn't they invest to mitigate this over the last 30 years?"

River-keepers joined Mr Murray in public protests

In his letter to Longparish councillors, Mr Gosden said the equipment was set up in January "as part of testing our contingent readiness for an extreme emergency".

The chief executive wrote: "It will not happen again... You have my personal assurance that we will not be pumping into the River Test."

He said the firm had "invested significantly" to address the "growing problem" of groundwater overloading the sewerage system.

The River Test is internationally renowned for its trout and salmon stocks

Hampshire had just experienced its wettest winter since records began in 1871, Mr Gosden added.

On its website, Southern Water said: "We've listened to local councillors and other stakeholders and will not be installing overpumping to prevent homes flooding.

"Instead, we will rely on tankers to transport excess wastewater away to treatment works.

"We're sorry for the noise and disruption this 24-hour operation may cause."

Equipment to allow over pumping has been installed along the Test

Previously the firm said overpumping would involve "transferring screened, filtered and settled, highly dilute wastewater" to the watercourse.

The Test is an internationally renowned chalk stream, flowing 40 miles (64 km) from near Basingstoke to Southampton Water.

The stretch between Longparish and Chilbolton is part of a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is famous for its trout and salmon fishing.

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