Thames Water, which pumped sewage into the River Ver for more than 2,500 hours this year, is set to be fined £104million.
Water watchdog Ofwat found that the company is responsible for failing to manage sewage spills, including those which have been polluting the River Ver, the rare chalk stream which flows through St Albans.
On Tuesday, August 6, Ofwat announced their proposal to fine three water companies due to their “failure to ensure that discharges of untreated wastewater from storm overflows occur only in exceptional circumstances”, and a failure to “upgrade assets” and “properly operate and maintain their wastewater treatment works”.
Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans, and Victoria Collins, MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, have both been vocal in pressuring Thames Water to end the release of raw sewage into rivers.
Speaking to St Albans News, John Pritchard, chair of the Ver Valley Society, celebrated the news of the fine.
He said: “The Ver Valley Society is delighted that Ofwat is proposing huge fines, where Thames Water has been found to be causing environmental harm and failing to upgrade assets.
“On the River Ver, any sewage discharge from Markyate sewage treatment works goes directly into our rare chalk stream in its most fragile winterbourne headwaters. There has been over 2,600 hours of unwanted sewage discharges in both 2021 and 2024; the majority of this has not been as the result of exceptional rain or snowmelt.
“We ask that the fines will be used to redress environmental damage to rivers and seas and not simply disappear into the treasury coffers.”
Photo Credit: Ver Valley Society
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