‘No improvement’ to pollution levels in river say south Warwickshire pressure group Safe Avon
THERE has been no improvement in river pollution in the Avon and its tributaries with no change in sewage dumping and other forms of contamination.
That’s the latest conclusion from Safe Avon, the pressure group set up to monitor pollution in south Warwickshire and campaign for cleaner waterways.
In the period from 23rd July last year to the end of January this year more than 90 citizen scientists conducted 1,889 tests at 40 sites on the Avon and its tributaries between Stratford and Tewkesbury.
Dr Geoff Sallis, one of the key figures in Safe Avon, told the Herald the results showed that 77 per cent of the sites tested revealed high or very high levels of nitrates and phosphates – 94 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively.
“We’re finding the level of pollution is ongoing, with no change in sewage dumping and other forms of pollution,” he said.
Data collected at the Paddock Lane sewage treatment works in Stratford showed that sewage dumping in the Avon rose from 253 hours in 2023 to 325 hours in 2024. This is the equivalent of 13 whole days or 3.69 per cent of the year.
Dr Sallis said that the water company, Severn Trent, was bypassing the sewage works and “pouring raw sewage into the river”. In 2024, he said, the company dumped sewage for 16,455 hours along the Warwickshire Avon “where they bypassed sewage works” – again according to EA [Environment Agency] figures.
When asked why this was happening, Dr Sallis said: “We have a very old sewerage system. When we get a lot of surface water the sewage works can’t cope with it, so the sewage and water goes down the same pipes. The ‘bypass’ just pours it straight into the river.”
Dr Sallis said that, by contrast, countries in Europe were investing more of their customers’ money in infrastructure. He said that Severn Trent customers would be facing a 47 per cent increase in water charges over the next five years to 2030.
“This year the increase has been on average around 30 per cent,” he said. “So the increase is being front-loaded.” He added: “There appears to be more funding for dividends [for shareholders] than there is for investment.
He believed that instead of giving shareholders big dividends the water companies should be spending much more on improving the sewerage systems around the country. And the companies should be better policed to make sure they were adhering to environment laws.
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “We’re working hard to reduce our impact on rivers but we know that there’s more that we can do. This is why since May last year, we have installed over 1,500 improvements to storm overflows across our region, with 36 along the Avon.
“In Warwickshire, we have installed new storage tanks and reedbeds at treatment works to capture more rainwater, and made a £78 million investment into a bathing rivers programme, which will improve water quality in multiple rivers in Warwickshire, including the Avon.
“Looking ahead, we expect the average number of spills to fall by over 25 per cent to reach an average of 18 by December 2025 because of this work.”
The company also pointed out that its operations were currently responsible for 16 per cent of the reasons why rivers in Warwickshire were “not achieving good ecological status, with 84 per cent down to other sectors”.
