Rain could plunge Swindon's sewage system down drain

Swindon's sewage system is most at risk from "unwanted flows" of water, the report said

Swindon's sewage system could struggle to cope with heavy rainfall, a report has warned.

A site processing sewage in the Wiltshire town was judged to be adequate for the amount of material it will need to handle as the population grows, a report to the council said.

But it warned that the site may suffer when receiving "unwanted flows".

"This can be surface water, groundwater and inundation during wet weather," it added.

The report also noted there were 22 discharges of sewage to waterways in Swindon from the Thames Water treatment plant in Barnfield Road in 2021, totalling 231 hours, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

There were also three from the Broome Hall Tanks totalling just over 13 hours in that year, the LDRS reported.

It added: "Thames Water has committed to achieving at least a 50% reduction in the total annual duration of untreated discharges by 2030, and within that an 80% reduction in sensitive catchments, against a 2020 baseline."

One of the concerns councillors raised is the impact of the area's growth on its sewage system.

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The report says there will be a new pumping station constructed at the New Eastern Villages, where up to 8,000 houses are to be built over the next decade. 

It added: "The council is working with Thames Water to secure a site for this infrastructure to be put in place."

In November, sewage began spilling into Lydiard Brook and River Ray after a pipe burst.

It happened close to the location of two similar incidents - one in April 2021 and another in August last year.

A public committee meeting discussing the report is set to take place on Thursday.