Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help reduce pollution in (a) the Thames and (b) Beverley Brook.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government published the Plan for Water in April 2023 – our comprehensive strategy for managing our water environment, including our rivers. It brings together the significant steps we have already taken with a suite of new policy actions. It aims to change the way that we manage water, improve water quality, and continue to secure our water supply.
The Plan for Water is underpinned by three main things:
The EA both responds to and investigates serious pollution incidents, such as the extensive work mitigating the impact of a category 1 oil spill in March 2022. There have been no serious (Cat 1&2) pollution incidents on the Beverley Brook since then.
The EA permits discharges to the Beverly Brook to control and improve water quality. There is one large continuous discharge which is treated final effluent from Hogsmill Sewage Treatment Works to increase river flow and prevent it drying up. There are five permitted, combined sewer overflows which discharge storm sewage after heavy rainfall. None of these have significant environmental impact. Other sources of pollution are road run-off and misconnected domestic properties.
The EA works with partners to remove pollution sources entering rivers. ‘Outfall Safaris’ are taking place to assess possible pollution inputs and these are managed by the Zoological Society of London and supported by the EA, South East Rivers Trust, and members of the public. These are investigated by Thames Water and rectified, often aided by the Local Authority. In 2022, three outfall improvements were completed with a further two this year and seven more identified.
Monitoring by the EA over many decades shows that general water quality of the tidal Thames has been improving with increased regulation of sewage treatment. Harm however can still be done to the river by storm sewage discharges after rainfall. The London Tideway Tunnels will begin to receive flow in 2024 capturing the majority of these sewage spills, further protecting our aquatic habitat.
The EA recognises that the performance of the water sector is not where it needs to be, and that robust regulation is a key element of the required improvement. That is why in June 2023, the EA launched its Water Industry Transformation Programme, outlining that it would be transforming the way it regulates the sector, embedding a new approach that targets resource and interventions to uncover non-compliance and drive better performance from the water industry. This includes looking at how incidents are investigated and how they are categorised.
The EA will soon have new powers to deliver civil penalties that are quicker and easier to enforce.
Actions that the EA is taking as the water industry regulator are set out in the annual water company performance report, published 12 July 2023.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of sewage discharges into the River Thames on the health of (a) dogs and (b) other pets.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is clear that the volume of sewage being discharged into our waters in unacceptable. That is why our Plan for Water sets out more investment, stronger regulation, and tougher enforcement to tackle pollution and clean up our water.
Alongside this, our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan sets clear and specific targets for water companies, regulators and the Government, to work towards the long-term ambition of eliminating ecological harm from storm overflows.
No specific assessment has been undertaken on the impact of sewage discharges on dogs and pets.
Asked by: Lord Lee of Trafford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what information they have on which different species of fish inhabit the tidal reaches of the River Thames, particularly in the Richmond and Teddington sections.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for managing freshwater fisheries in England and carries out biannual fish surveys at eight locations on the tidal Thames, between Gravesend and Richmond.
From 2010-2022, the EA recorded 19 fish species at Richmond. These were: bleak; brown trout; bullhead; chub; common bream; common carp; dace; European eel; flounder; common goby; gudgeon; minnow; perch; roach; rudd; sand smelt; sea bass; smelt; and three-spined stickleback.
Teddington has not been surveyed recently but between 1989 and 1993 11 species were caught at Teddington. These were: bleak; common bream; common goby; dace; European eel; flounder; gudgeon; perch; roach; sea bass; and three-spined stickleback.
Aug. 22 2023
Source Page: River Thames: lock and weir fishing site guidesFound: River Thames: lock and weir fishing site guides
Mentions:
1: None Water’s proposed scheme to build the Teddington Direct River Abstraction (DRA) project; notes that this - Speech Link
2: None DEFRA Minister Robbie Moore met with Munira Wilson and Sarah Olney to discuss the Teddington Direct River - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Matt Rodda (Lab - Reading East) water supply to a large part of Reading recently and, indeed, considerable sewage discharges in the river - Speech Link
2: Sarah Olney (LD - Richmond Park) The controversial Teddington direct river abstraction project will allow Thames Water to take water from - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Layla Moran (LD - Oxford West and Abingdon) I thank the Minister for being here to listen to my constituents’ concerns.The River Thames is an integral - Speech Link
2: Layla Moran (LD - Oxford West and Abingdon) He is a keen rower, and a blister became infected by dirty river water from the Thames in Abingdon. - Speech Link
3: Robbie Moore (Con - Keighley) important this issue is, having campaigned in my constituency for a bathing water designation on the River - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Munira Wilson (LD - Twickenham) to draw water out of the River Thames in times of drought and replace it with treated sewage. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Baroness Quin (Lab - Life peer) even been warnings to the Oxford and Cambridge boat crews about the health risks of the water of the River - Speech Link
2: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green - Life peer) The first time a water company fails—for example, Thames Water—why not take it over, load the debt into - Speech Link
3: Lord Teverson (LD - Life peer) My Lords, the Minister mentioned the River Wye. - Speech Link
4: Lord Douglas-Miller (Con - Life peer) The River Wye action plan, which the noble Lord refers to, is firmly supported by the Government. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Munira Wilson (LD - Twickenham) Thames Water has been dumping billions of litres of raw sewage in the River Thames and there are hundreds - Speech Link
2: Ruth Cadbury (Lab - Brentford and Isleworth) The River Thames flows alongside Chiswick, Brentford and Isleworth, where we walk, kayak, row and paddleboard - Speech Link
3: Munira Wilson (LD - Twickenham) see recycled sewage put into the River Thames and water taken out. - Speech Link