AN ONGOING row over sewage spillages has continued over the festive period.

Witney Town Council issued a warning on Christmas Eve after sewage spilled into streams following heavy rainfall in the lead up to Christmas.

In the statement, the council confirmed that there is sewage and ‘fungus’ in the Colwell Brook and Emma’s Dyke, discharged from nearby Thames Water sewage treatment works.

This comes after Ashley Smith from Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP) had said in November that sewage fungus was growing in both Colwell Brook and Emma’s Dyke.

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The sewage from the recent spillage has been treated, the council said, but it said swimming and ‘food gathering’ in the area is not recommended. It also advised dog walkers to keep their pets on a lead.

Despite the council’s claims that the sewage was treated, Mr Smith said that the sewage in Colwell Brook and Emma’s Dyke has in fact not been treated.

He said: “The brook looks appalling, it’s depressingly awful and is a health hazard to people and animals.

“We are calling for urgent action to stop a repeat of this ongoing abuse of our river and the risk to public health.

Oxford Mail:

“Our local government has recognised the seriousness of the situation and it is time for radical change to stop the destruction of our environment for water industry profit.

“We are now increasingly concerned about the way that the Environment Agency (EA) is allowing Thames Water to use the Colwell Brook to dump untreated sewage and prop up its failed infrastructure, which is simply unable to cope with British weather.”

Mr Smith praised the council for being ‘sensible and supportive’ and ‘taking the issue very seriously.’

However, he claimed that the EA is ‘turning a blind eye’ and ‘doing very little about this problem’.

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In November, Mr Smith claimed that Thames Water had allowed untreated sewage to be discharged into the River Windrush.

Regarding the recent developments, a spokesperson for Thames Water said: “The situation at the start of last week is the same as it was last month.

“The exceptionally heavy rain meant the network was full; therefore, to prevent wastewater from backing up into people’s homes, the EA permit us to discharge some into rivers.

“This is the last resort but the alternative is far worse.”

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Mr Smith and the group at WASP aim to prevent untreated sewage going into the Windrush and the contamination this causes to people and animals.

In 2018, they featured on Countryfile about the issue, whilst last July, the Swinbrook raft race was cancelled due to the river not being of bathing quality.

Going further back, in 2006, Thames Water was fined £100,000 at Witney Magistrates Court after admitting allowing sewage to pollute the Windrush, Emma’s Dyke, Colwell Brook and Curbridge ditch.

And in March 2017, the firm was handed a record £20million fine after 1.9 billion litres of untreated sewage was pumped into the Thames.

Thames Water is the largest water and wastewater services company in the UK and has an annual turnover of over £2billion. The group serves 15million people a day and recycles 4.4billion litres of sewage a day.