Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas has penned a letter to Thames Water’s CEO Sarah Bentley, asking for answers regarding the sewage discharges into the River Yeading.
The letter, dated 31 March, highlights concerns over the impact of sewage discharge on the natural environment and public health.
In his letter, Thomas notes Thames Water’s own data, which shows frequent discharges into rivers serving his constituency, as well as the wider locality, such as Wealdstone Brook and Kenton Brook, during recent wet weather.
The MP stated that “people in Harrow and across the country are staggered that sewage is being discharged into British rivers in the 21st Century and that water companies have been given a very long time to take action.”
Thomas questions why recent sewage releases have taken place in Harrow and what remedial steps can be taken to prevent such incidents from occurring again in the future.
He also asks when Harrow’s rivers and streams will be free from any chance of sewage discharges and what consultation process will be in place with Harrow residents and council before any future sewage discharges take place.
The MP criticised the Government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, stating that it “does not eliminate sewage dumping into our natural environment and could see millions more spills by 2035 based on last year’s data.”
He added that “significant investment is needed to tackle this ongoing issue of pollution.”
To address concerns in Harrow, Thomas has requested that Thames Water write an annual public letter via Harrow Council to residents, setting out exactly how many sewage discharges there have been locally and what investment has been made over the past twelve months into preventing future such discharges.
In conclusion, MP Gareth Thomas hopes that Thames Water will review the progress made so far and take further action to address the situation.
This issue needs to be dealt with to protect the natural environment and public health. Thomas said, “Given the seriousness of this pollution, I hope you will be able to review the progress made so far and look into what further action could be taken to address this. I look forward to hearing from you.”
