Campaigners plan to submit statutory nuisance complaints against Thames Water, urging councils to hold the company legally responsible for ongoing sewage pollution.
River Action said documents submitted by Thames Water to regulator Ofwat showed work to 93 sewage treatment works and water pumping stations it said it would upgrade remains incomplete. The group intends to submit complaints to councils in London, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire, asking them to take “decisive action” to stop Thames Water polluting.
A Thames Water spokesperson said the company told regulators in 2023 it would not be able to deliver all of the upgrades but that it is “committed to seeing waterways thrive”. The company has outlined a £9.5 billion investment programme over the next five years, aiming to increase treatment capacity, lower storm discharges, and implement nutrient reduction schemes.
The campaign has received backing from Olympic rowing champions Sir Steve Redgrave and Imogen Grant. Sir Steve said: “As someone who has spent my life on the water, I am appalled by the pollution that Thames Water continues to allow. That’s why I’m joining River Action and communities along the River Thames in taking action to hold this company to account. Our rivers should be safe for everyone. It is unacceptable that people are being forced to fight for clean, healthy waterways.”
Grant, who won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024, said: “Rivers are our lifeblood, for sport, wildlife, and community, and it’s shocking to see them poisoned by untreated sewage time and time again. I have filed a nuisance claim with Wokingham because I’ve had enough of pollution putting me and other river users at risk. I stand with River Action to hold Thames Water accountable and protect the rivers we all rely on.”
River Action highlighted a 240% increase in sewage spill hours from Newbury into the River Kennet between 2019 and 2024. The group also cited Thames Water data showing E. coli levels in treated effluent in the Thames at Henley-on-Thames reached more than 30 times the safe limit for designated bathing water. One of the problem treatment works is located at Henley, Oxfordshire.
If councils determine a statutory nuisance exists, they can issue an abatement notice, which would order Thames Water to stop the nuisance or face criminal prosecution. River Action hopes the complaints will prompt authorities to investigate and take appropriate action.
Thames Water said: “We informed Ofwat, the Environment Agency and other industry stakeholders in August 2023 that some Water Industry National Environmental Programme (WINEP) schemes would not be delivered on time. We remain committed to delivering all our WINEP obligations.
“We are committed to seeing waterways thrive, but we can’t do it alone. Farming, industry, road runoff, wildlife, and increasingly extreme weather also play a role in river health. We understand that all untreated discharges, even when permitted, are unacceptable, however it’s important to remember the sewage system was historically designed this way to prevent sewage backing up into people’s homes.”
