THAMES Water declined to apologise for the untreated sewage it discharges into the rivers of the Woking area when it attended the borough council’s overview and scrutiny committee on Monday last week.

Requested to appear by John Morley, Liberal Democrat councillor for Horsell, Thames Water was represented by Richard 
Aylard, its sustainability director.

Cllr Morley said: “Untreated sewage enters our local rivers on a daily basis and this is unacceptable. We heard some positive news on improvements to two local sewage treatment facilities, which are long overdue, but what we didn’t get – despite a direct request – was an apology to the people of Woking for dumping untreated sewage in our rivers.”

Cllr Morley has been pro-active in trying to hold Thames Water to account, wading into the River Bourne last autumn to join environmental campaigner Andrew McManus in drawing attention to the spills from the Chobham sewage treatment works.

In 2021 the storm overflow at the works in Broadford Lane discharged 98 times into the Bourne for a total of 1,140 hours.

Mr McManus, who attended the meeting, said: “Even as I was making some notes before the meeting I learnt that Thames Water’s Old Woking works was discharging raw sewage.

“I had hoped for an apology to the people of Woking, but that wasn’t forthcoming.

“The good news is that work has started on improving Chobham sewage works and councillors have been promised a guided tour of the sewage works and of the improvements.

“More good news is that the capacity of the Old Woking sewage Works will be increased, with work to be completed by 31 March 2025, including a 50% increase in the storm tanks.

“Thames Water has also committed to reduce spills by 50% throughout their network and by 80% into sensitive catchment areas including our local River Wey.

“Actually, I do have some sympathy for their lack of an apology. Much of this appalling state is caused by poor regulation by the Environment Agency and national government inaction since the privatisation of the water companies.”

Sympathy was not something Mr Morley’s fellow Lib Dem councillor for Horsell, Cllr Adam Kirby, was about to extend.

“It will be bitterly disappointing to local residents that the representative of Thames Water not only refused to apologise for the effluent in local rivers, but also responded by claiming not to know what he would be apologising for,” Cllr Kirby said. “This was astounding.

“Their appearance last week was at odds with the promises made not even a year ago by the CEO of Thames Water, who stated that even technically legal discharges of sewage are wrong.

“The representative of Thames Water did manage to confirm that they had received the latest local plan from Woking Council back in 2012 and should have been able to plan ahead for any additional capacity needs.

“He was also able to confirm that Thames Water has been responsible for sewage in the Woking area since 1989. This is my entire lifetime. I don’t want the next generation to be asking the same questions in 34 more years.”

Cllr Morley added: “I requested that Thames Water return to the committee at the same time next year. By this point they should have completed the works at Chobham.

“I’ll definitely get them back and we will follow up on a site visit to the Chobham sewage treatment plant.”