Raw sewage pours into the Kennet at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve –  8 days later Thames Water still to assess

Marlborough’s floods last Friday forced the sewer lid adjacent to the board walk in Stonebridge Wild River Reserve open, causing raw sewage to pour out into the water meadows and the river. The incident was reported immediately, by a member of the public, to Thames Water, to the Environment Agency and to ARK (Action for the River Kennet). 8 days later ARK are still waiting for a representative from Thames Water to visit the site, and assess what needs to happen next.

Meanwhile the sewage continues to pour out and the smell and effluent has intensified and spread, desecrating the beach area which is enjoyed by members of the public and where ARK run river experiences for many local groups, schools and organisations.

ARK Senior Project Office, Anna Forbes, told Marlborough.news, “We understand why the sewer lid popped with the unprecedented flooding but we would have expected Thames Water to send someone out to assess the situation and to remove sanitary products, wet wipes, nappies etc.(things people flush down the loo but shouldn’t) which are pouring into the river. No one from Thames Water has visited the site.

I have contacted Thames Water again today. Local MP Danny Kruger has also said he will write to Thames Water stressing the urgency of the situation. This is yet another example of under investment in the water/sewage infrastructure over many years and an assessor should have been sent immediately.”

To add to the River Kennet’s woes since Dec 31^st there has been 266 hours of continuous discharging of raw sewage from Fyfield Sewage Treatment Works into the Kennet and it’s continuing.

All of this is, of course, having a devastating effect on the water quality of the Kennet and its surrounding habitat. Anna commented, “Water quality is everything. Invertebrates in the river, which are at the bottom of the food chain are sensitive to poor water quality and if they die then this has a knock-on effect on everything.

This is the time of year when trout are spawning and if eggs get smothered in sewage then the eggs will suffocate. The Kennet is not a healthy river for anything at the moment. There are swans ingesting sewage from plants in the contaminated water, kingfishers flying through sewage and dog walkers must make sure they keep their dogs out of the water. And the smell is disgusting. It’s heart breaking to see this happen in such a beautiful spot.”