Oxford rivers 'used as open sewers', Oxford City Council debate hears

Port Meadow was described as important for residents' wellbeing

Stretches of river in Oxford are being used as open sewers, a councillor has claimed.

Labour's Linda Smith called the situation "disgusting" during a council debate about the state of the city's waterways.

Councillors voted unanimously to lobby for Environment Agency funding, and to press Thames Water to upgrade its sewage plants.

The authority also wants to make a stretch of river fit for bathing in.

Untreated waste was spilled into the upper Thames for more than 17,000 hours in 2019, councillors heard.

It took place when sewage works were overwhelmed by flooding, and as such is not illegal.

City councillors said Port Meadow and other riverside areas were important for residents' wellbeing, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'Inflatable flamingo'

Ms Smith said it was important to "keep up the pressure" on authorities to invest in better sewage works.

She added: "This is not just about bathers and swimmers.

"There are canoes, paddleboards and I even saw a giant inflatable flamingo with six full-grown individuals and several tins of beer floating down the river at Port Meadow during summer."

The council called on Thames Water to give prior notice for when it dumps waste so swimmers can avoid it.

Green councillor Dick Wolff said it was "shocking" that people "did not know what was happening in their rivers".

Ecologist Hugh Warwick told the BBC that swimming in the river had been "so valuable during lockdown and the summer".

He added: "I have been astounded by what Thames Water are allowed to do with this resource - to poison it and potentially us."Thames Water said it was working at ways to notify residents "very soon" after instances where diluted sewage overflows into the Thames.

It said it had "invested heavily in monitoring equipment to understand how frequently spills occur and help us plan improvements".