A Bad Week for Local River Health
The recent high rainfall has led to sewage treatment works discharging. We can see this on the Thames Water’s online live sewage discharge map.
All water companies are obliged to have monitoring in place by the end of the year. So far Thames Water is the first to have the information online for their area.
As of Monday morning 3rd April 2023, Gerrards Cross sewage treatment work(STW) had been discharging/spilling to the Misbourne for 233hrs and 31mins. Not great timing for anyone who’s taking children into rivers for Easter holiday environmental activities.
Maple Lodge has been spilling on and off all year and now also totals hundreds of hours. It too has spilt for around 100 hours in recent days.
Markyate has been spilling to the River Ver.
Berkhamstead to the Grand Union Canal, that then flows into the River Bulbourne; (there is no direct discharge to the Bulbourne).
Chesham to the Chess also for a few hours recently. The River Chess Association have commented: “Oxygen levels are declining, putting the fish recently released by local school kids as part of Trout in the Classroom at risk”.
National data for sewage discharge in 2022 has recently been released:
Sewage spills in England totalled 1.75 million hours in 2022