A water company is facing pressure to clean up its act and stop discharging raw sewage into the River Thames in Wallingford and the surrounding area.

Environmental activists, wild swimmers and a rowing club have called for Thames Water to stop releasing untreated sewage into the river when there is heavy rainfall.

According to its own map, Thames Water released storm discharge – a mix of untreated sewage and rainwater - into the river near Benson for nearly six hours overnight on April 14.

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It comes just a month after the Government denied clean bathing status to a stretch of the river in Wallingford which would have forced Thames Water to treat discharge to a higher standard.

Extinction Rebellion has now put yellow signs on bridges and benches by riverbanks in Wallingford, Benson, Dorchester, Henley, Goring and Streatley to warn people of water pollution.

Member Kate Fenn, 56, who lives in Benson, said: “Thames Water need to sort it out.

“My brother and sister-in-law went swimming near Wallingford and were both sick the next day.  You don’t know what you’re swimming in. 

“They need to actually spend some money on sorting out their plants to deal with the sewage rather than putting it in the river.

“We can’t go back to 1850. How long are they going to carry on doing this for?”

Dr Lin Rolfe, 68, a retired biologist who lives in Wallingford, said she was concerned of both the risk to wildlife and swimmers.

She said: “There are consequences to wildlife as it reduces the oxygen to fish and aquatic life as it causes excessive weed growth.

“That means you get a decimation of wildlife near the sewage outlets.

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“The other point of concern is for public health because the contamination of the water with raw sewage means the public are being put at risk.

“Many people swim in the river and children play there. Just last weekend I saw children paddling about and thought it’s probably not safe for them to do so."

Oxford Mail: A yellow sign put up by Extinction Rebellion on the river bank in Wallingford warning people about

Geoff Brown, captain of Wallingford Rowing Club, said: “If there is raw sewage being pumped into the river in Wallingford or anywhere then I am utterly horrified.

“It’s going to be quite dangerous for rowers. We do sit on top of the water but that doesn’t mean we don’t get splashed and it isn’t going into our system.

“Rowers also often have cuts and to think that there is raw sewage going into our cuts or our eyes is just horrible.

“I would call on Thames Water and the Government bodies to work together to reduce raw discharge being pumped into our river.”

Wild swimmer Jo Robb said: “Thames Water have been discharging raw sewage into the river in Benson for around 1,000 hours a year for the last several years.

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“It is absolutely shocking and it’s got to stop.

“They say they are going to invest in the Benson plant but what we don’t know is the timescale or any information about what this investment will put in place to stop discharge in Benson."

A Thames Water spokeswoman said none of the areas with signs had experienced a discharge of diluted untreated sewage in the last 48 hours.

The company has committed £1.6 billion of investment in sewage treatment works and sewers over the next two years to help reduce discharge in the Thames Valley.

The spokeswoman said: “We have a long way to go – and we certainly can’t do it on our own – but the ambition is clear.”