Thames Water dumped raw sewage into rivers 5,028 times in 2021

theguardian.com:

Thames Water dumped untreated effluent for more than 68,000 hours into the river systems around Oxford last year, campaigners have revealed, arguing that the sum of money the company plans to spend to improve the situation is woefully inadequate.

The company discharged raw sewage into the River Thames and its tributaries including the River Windrush, Thame, Evenlode and Ock 5,028 times in 2021, according to data analysed by the Oxford Rivers Improvement Campaign (ORIC).

Using data from Thames Water and applying the Environment Agency formula for capacity required at any treatment works, the campaigners assessed that the 10 large sewage treatment works operating in the upper Thames area – from Didcot in the south to Moreton-in-Marsh and Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds – were unable to treat the full capacity of sewage for the population of 1.1 million.

Their calculations indicate Oxford and Witney treatment works can cope with only 62% of the capacity needed for the population, and the treatment works in Banbury is sufficient for just 49% of the required capacity.

The failure to invest in the capacity of the treatment works had led to more raw sewage in the rivers, the campaigners said. All 10 works discharged sewage into the rivers in 2021 for an average of 11 hours a week. Oxford sewage treatment works released raw sewage into the waters for 892 hours in 2021, Swindon for 501 hours and Witney for 935 hours.

Thames Water is investing in the improvement of four of the large treatment works and 11 smaller works – just a third of the works that need to be expanded to stop sewage discharges into the rivers, according to the ORIC. When population increases are taken into consideration, the investment plans cover just a