Sewage Increase to Berkhamsted Rivers and Waterways

163% increase in hours of sewage dumped by Thames Water last year. New figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Thames Water discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 196,414 hours last year, a 163% increase on 2022. 

Harpenden & Berkhamsted Liberal Democrats are calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in local rivers and canals, including replacing Ofwat with a tougher regulator. The party has also called for a ban on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.

Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis, including Bim Afolami, the conservative MP for Hitchin and Harpenden and Gagan Mohindra, the conservative MP for South West Hertfordshire.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Harpenden & Berkhamsted, Victoria Collins said: ‘It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into Harpenden and Berkhamsted rivers and waterways. With beautiful chalk streams nearby and areas such as the Batford Springs nature reserve where families love to paddle, we cannot let this go on.

‘It beggars belief that Conservative MPs have allowed water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism. People in Harpenden, Berkhamsted, Tring and our surrounding villages are furious that Conservative politicians blocked tougher action on these disgraced firms.

‘The Liberal Democrats are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local rivers/beaches including replacing OfWat with a regulator that has real teeth to clamp down on these polluting firms. We have also called for a ban on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.’

The latest Environment Agency data can be found here and MPs who voted against tougher action on sewage can be found here. (If voted ‘aye’ it means that the MP voted to allow sewage dumping).

Berkhamsted Living Magazine is delighted to share this article as it relates to the interests of the local town. However, it should not be construed as being representative of our views, which are not party political.

Photo Credit: Ian Scott