Sewage Action Group Update
If you have any queries related to this update, or wish to report any incident of concern, please feel free to contact your local SAGLUV representative:
SAGLUV Update - 19 January 2025
Martyn Wright reports:
Our last SAGLUV update was issued in November 2024. Two months seems a long time for a follow-up, but in truth, the situation hasn’t changed very much, which in some ways is a relief!
We said then that the impact of the various relining and repair works carried out by Thames Water during the summer and autumn, could not be fully assessed until the groundwater levels rose to cover the sewer pipes. Since November, those levels have been rising, sufficient for the EA to issue a groundwater flood risk alert, but not really high enough for a thorough test of the work. During the last few weeks the levels plateaued, but have just started to show a slight rise again, so no real test yet.
However, there are some positive signs! TW assure us that their monitoring, and comparison of data from previous years, has shown the 450m of relining and sealing work in Eastbury has reduced the ingress into the system. This has a positive effect, not only in Eastbury, where no sewer problems have been reported yet, but also down through the network in East Garston and Great Shefford. As stated above, it is difficult to assess the full impact until groundwater levels rise further.
But we have to be cautious. In East Garston there is still evidence of some groundwater ingress resulting in some higher than normal levels in the sewer, but generally, the pumping station is coping with it. There is however a problem when we get heavy rain and surface water run-off from roads and house roofs fill the part charged sewer pipes, leading to temporary backing up. The ATAC filter unit is installed ready to be switched on when necessary, but that hasn’t been needed yet, and the EA do not permit the unit to be used unless there is a spillage, or an imminent spillage that will go into the river.
To put it into perspective, in EG the groundwater level is already higher now, than it was in early winter 2023/24 when tankers had to be used, followed by the installation of the ATAC unit. So again, there is cautious optimism that we are in a better place than we were last year.
In Great Shefford, the flood alleviation Scheme is not yet complete, but a temporary solution will be in place to avoid the flooding that has been experienced in the past. It is hoped that this, and the relining work, will also help prevent the sewer flooding that was suffered last year. There have been no reports of problems yet.
SAGLUV Meeting with Thames Water/Lanes 13 December 2024
All of the above observations support the information that we were given at our meeting with Tessa Fayers, TW’s Director for Wastewater, Ty Harling, Operations Director for Lanes Contractors, and Jenny Pearson, the newly appointed Thames Valley Regional Manager, for TW.
TW confirmed that the planned relining and sealing work had been completed, and that regular follow-up inspections would made to assess the impact, and to look for other ingress points, as the water table rose.
At our previous meeting with the TW/Lanes team, we in SAGLUV had expressed our concern about the efficacy of some of the Lanes and other Contractors teams who were often the “face” of TW to customers. TW/Lanes committed then to return to the subject at this November meeting, and this they did. From their response, we believe that they have taken on board a number of the points we had made. We have certainly seen a lot more inspection and monitoring activity in our villages over the last month.
They explained that, each autumn, TW and Lanes draw up a very detailed “Winter Plan” that covers all aspects of the contract work to be carried out. This includes: the planned work, contingencies, resourcing, customer relations and communications, and many other relevant operational topics.
TW/Lanes shared the detailed content of this plan with us, some in confidence, and although it is common knowledge that TW are faced with severe financing challenges that impose limits on what can be done, we were left in no doubt that TW and Lanes have in place an extremely comprehensive plan that covers all foreseeable, and possibly unforeseeable, eventualities.
One of the most encouraging aspects that came out of it is that our upper part of the Lambourn Valley is very high on their list of priority areas, with several of our locations noted as “hot spots”. TW have told us this before, but to see it in black and white in an important planning document, certainly reinforces it. And the fact that this was the third meeting we have had with Thames Water’s senior director who is responsible for Wastewater throughout the whole of TW’s domain, including London, is also an indication of just how much focus they are putting on our small area. We are convinced that any failings that may occur this winter will be down to TW’s financial limitations rather than attention.
Click here for a summary of the Lambourn Valley Flood Forum meeting on 13th January 2025
Now we just have to wait and see what is happening with groundwater levels. These are notoriously difficult to predict and we are seeking the latest forecast from the experts.
Fingers crossed for no significant increase, but we have to admit that hasn’t always worked in the past!
As always, please report any sewer or pollution problems to:
Thames Water: Sewage and wastewater flooding | Contact us | Thames Water or 0800 316 9800
Environment Agency: Report an environmental incident - GOV.UK or 0800 80 70 60
SAGLUV Update - 14 November 2024
Martyn Wright reports:
Groundwater levels are now touching Thames Water’s Red Warning threshold for risk of sewer flooding (East Garston threshold) and, although it’s very early days, as of last week, there has been little sign of infiltration or flooding yet, and the rate of rise of groundwater is slowing. So far so good! However, we are being warned by all the relevant agencies, EA, WBC and TW, that we can expect this winter’s groundwater levels to reach a similar level to those seen in 2014. This forecasting is not an exact science, but many will remember the extensive groundwater flooding and resultant sewer flooding that we suffered then.
Piers Allison of the Pang Valley Flood Forum has kindly modified his website pages to cover the Lambourn Valley:
https://www.floodalleviation.uk/lambourn/dashboard/
The prime purpose of the site is to provide a more detailed view of flood risk and warnings, by providing data that gives us a better understanding of the links between rainfall, groundwater and flooding, and of course, the implications for sewage pollution. More detailed information about this site will be found shortly on the Parish Council websites.
The big question is whether or not the remedial work carried out by TW on their sewerage infrastructure, and preparations for mitigation that have been made, have put us in a better position to cope now than back in 2014. The short answer is – we don’t know yet! We are assured by TW that all the relining and manhole sealing work that was planned for 2024 has been completed in Eastbury, East Garston and Great Shefford. However, they are continuing to make checks on the network to spot any further points of infiltration as the water continues to rise and cover more pipework. This is the time when TW can spot “misconnections” i.e. leaks in private drains to sewers, or sometimes situations where groundwater has been diverted into the sewer network. This, of course, is not permitted.
Eastbury suffered fresh occurrences of sewage overflow issues in April 2024 at a time when ground water levels were falling. Surface flooding was the indirect cause of this. An accumulation of excess vegetation in the river channel, as a result of vigorous growth, restricted flow rates leading to breaching of banks in the village centre. Flooding on to the road, covering inspection chamber covers, led to water ingress into the sewer pipe network, with the typical consequence of renewed discharges of raw sewage onto roads at the eastern end of the village.
Eastbury Village Wardens requested a “weed cut” in the river channel by the Environment Agency. This was granted and the road flooding abated as a direct result of the controlled removal of vegetation. The sewage discharge problems were thus solved. The EA then agreed to allocate a budget for routine weed cutting in Eastbury, and this commitment currently remains.
In East Garston, the installation of the ATAC filter unit that was planned for December has been brought forward and the unit is already in place and being set up. Although welcome, to put it in context, this is a least worse solution. The sewage is not treated. The unit simply filters the effluent before being discharged, albeit highly diluted, directly into the river. This helps the pumping station to cope with the excessive flows and hopefully removes the need to discharge unfiltered raw sewage into the river, as used to happen regularly. With luck, the unit won’t have to be used, but it will be ready if needed. Hopefully tankers won’t have to be used again this winter, but TW’s contingency plans include their deployment in the three villages if necessary.
Many will have seen the massive construction project being undertaken alongside the Wantage Road in Great Shefford. This is not, as some people think, a Thames Water project, but is in fact, a Flood Alleviation Scheme initiated by Great Shefford PC, with the support of EA and WBC. When completed, in early 2025, it will divert the winterbourne stream that flows alongside the Wantage Road, and which has caused serious flooding in some years. The scheme is designed to divert the stream via a pipe feeding it into the river, bypassing the properties that were previously affected. As this stream has previously impacted the sewerage network with additional infiltration, it is believed that TW’s network will also benefit from the scheme when it is completed.
Some of last winter’s sewage problems were also caused by slow response to reports from residents e.g. clearing blockages or tankers failing to arrive. We at SAGLUV have raised these concerns with TW at director level, and have received assurances that improvements have been made to customer services and contractor processes. We will be keeping a very close watch on this in the coming months. We need residents to report sewage incidents, and however frustrating it is, to do so repeatedly if necessary.
Nobody is claiming that any, or all, of the above will guarantee a trouble free winter, but at least some serious attempts have been made to reduce sewage flooding and mitigation plans have been prepared if the sewers are overwhelmed. It’s a case of hope for the best, but prepare for the worst!
Mention has been made previously of the WBC Scrutiny Commission meeting in October where TW, EA and WBC were held to account on flooding and sewage issues.
Here is the link to the draft minutes of the meeting:
https://decisionmaking.westberks.gov.uk/documents/g8145/Printed%20minutes%20Thursday%2017-Oct-2024%2018.00%20Scrutiny%20Commission.pdf?T=1
You can even watch the video! But a word of warning, the meeting went on for 3½ hours! Having said that, the scrutiny procedure is an interesting and valuable process, whereby we, the public, can observe our elected representatives, and others, interrogate and challenge the various agencies that are responsible for providing us with essential services.
As well as questions during the meeting, representatives of the various interested parties, including SAGLUV, also submitted a number of questions in advance. Thames Water gave a detailed presentation including their answers to the many questions raised. See (Public Pack)Supplementary Agenda Pack 3 - Thames Water Presentation and Q&A Agenda Supplement for Scrutiny Commission, 17/10/2024 18:00 At 50 pages long, it takes some perseverance to get through it all, but there is some very relevant information, including details of the work carried out locally.