Home / Environment / Sewage spills choke Oxfordshire brook
Sewage spills choke Oxfordshire brook
24 Mar
Summary
- South Moreton sewage works recorded 287 illegal spills between 2021 and 2025.
- Local resident reports disappearance of fish and otters in Mill Brook.
- Wasp group names Oxford and Faringdon treatment works among top polluters.
The South Moreton Sewage Treatment Works in Oxfordshire has been identified as the UK's worst sewage polluter, according to a new report by campaigners. Between 2021 and 2025, the site allegedly conducted 287 illegal spills. This has had a devastating impact on the local environment, with residents noting the disappearance of fish and otters from Mill Brook, a waterway that once teemed with wildlife.
Researchers from the Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (Wasp) group compiled the findings, also listing treatment works in Oxford and Faringdon among the top offenders. Jo Robb, a local Green Party councillor, described the presence of sewage fungus coating reeds and expressed grave concerns about the ecological and human health impacts.
Thames Water, which uses rivers as an overflow during heavy rainfall, has stated it is undertaking significant investment in wastewater infrastructure between 2025 and 2030. However, the Wasp report suggests a systemic problem of under-investment and failing infrastructure across the company's network.
