Sewage pollution in rivers Brent and Crane has become a concerning issue due to new housing schemes in Ealing, Brent, and Harrow. According to information obtained by the environmental charity Friends of the River Crane Environment (FORCE) through a Freedom of Information request, seven housing developments have been discharging sewage directly into the tributaries of the River Thames.
Thames Water revealed that these housing schemes were constructed without proper connections to the sewer system, resulting in toilets and other wastewater flowing directly into the rivers Brent and Crane in west London. FORCE highlighted that Thames Water has been aware of this problem since 2018 in Ealing, with additional cases identified in 2021, 2023, and 2024.
Upon making an environment information request in early October, FORCE discovered that several blocks of flats in north and west London were linked to surface water drainage instead of the foul drainage system. Despite Thames Water investigating these misconnections for some time, developers have not taken any steps to rectify the situation. There are concerns that developers may try to shift the cost of fixing these issues onto leaseholders. FORCE suspects that similar problems may exist in other parts of London and throughout the country.
Rob Gray, a trustee of FORCE, expressed his shock at the “gross misconnection failure” and the lack of corrective measures being taken. Ben Morris, a trustee of the Brent River Park charity and founder of the Clean up the River Brent campaign, criticized the situation as “a catastrophic failure of regulation.”
Misconnected pipes are considered illegal under Section 109 of the Water Industry Act 1991. Thames Water stated that it is the responsibility of the property owner to address misconnections and that they have a program in place to identify and investigate such issues.
It is crucial for authorities to address these sewage pollution problems promptly to protect the health of the rivers and the environment. Residents and environmental organizations must continue to advocate for proper wastewater management practices to prevent further pollution in our waterways. The collaboration between stakeholders, including developers, Thames Water, and environmental groups, is essential to ensure that sustainable solutions are implemented to mitigate sewage pollution in rivers Brent and Crane.
