ENVIRONMENT
How ‘temporary’ permits have let sewage spill into rivers since 1989
A recent spill at the River Misbourne in Buckinghamshire lasted almost 12 days
MAUREEN MCLEAN/ALAMY
Hundreds of sewage outlets into English rivers are governed by “woefully inadequate” permits that were meant to be temporary but have been in place for more than a decade.
Among the affected sites is the River Misbourne in Buckinghamshire, a chalk stream that represents one of the most precious habitats in the UK.
By Friday a sewage treatment works operated by Thames Water had been releasing a blend of raw sewage and rainwater into the Misbourne for more than 287 hours — nearly 12 full days. The spill paused over the weekend but resumed on Sunday for six more hours.
The waste was coming from one of more than 260 “storm overflows” that still operate under “temporary deemed consent”. These overflows should only release sewage
