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Teddington: Water samples to be taken after concerns of possible sewage

BBC Image showing brown and white lumps of matter floating in the Thames at TeddingtonBBC
Resident Peter Morris said it looked "brown and threatening"

Water samples will be taken from the Thames in south-west London after a number of residents raised concerns over a potential sewage discharge.

People living near Teddington Lock said they saw what looked like "brown lumps of porridge" floating in the water.

Richmond MP Sarah Olney also said pictures on social media showed what looked like an "environmental hazard".

However Thames Water said there is "no evidence" of sewage in the water.

Resident Peter Morris said he noticed while walking by one day "little clusters of what looked like brown porridge streaming all the way down the river", and is worried it may be raw sewage.

"There was an awful lot of rubbish in there and it wasn't kind of plastic bottles or anything like that, it looked brown and threatening," he said.

Liberal Democrat MP Ms Olney said: "I hear lots from people who are using the water - they're canoeing, they're rowing, they're swimming - really, really concerned about the quality of the water.

"I've had umpteen reports of sewage in this part of the Thames and it really makes me angry. We should be doing an awful lot better."

It comes after a Freedom of Information request last year revealed the River Thames has been polluted by at least 72bn litres of sewage discharges since 2020, with Mogden near Twickenham in south-west London the worst-impacted area.

Image showing people walking across one of the locks over the Thames in Teddington
The Environment Agency said an officer found no sign of harms to the environment in the area

Thames Water previously said it is "increasing sewage treatment capacity" at a number of sewage works across the Thames Valley and had already "started the £100m upgrade of Mogden sewage treatment works".

Thames Water told BBC London there is no evidence there is sewage in the river, but it will send a team down to investigate and collect some samples.

It added it also recognises there are occasions when it does have to discharge waste into the water.

Image of Sarah Oley MP, wearing a dark jacket and red and white patterned scarf
Local MP Sarah Olney said the reports make her "angry"

In a statement it said: "We are working hard to make these discharges unnecessary, and have published plans to upgrade of 250 of our sewage treatment works and sewers - to treat the high volumes of incoming sewage, and reduce the need for overflows during wet weather."

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "A specialist officer found no sign of harm to the environment after an online report of white foam on the surface of the River Thames at Teddington."

But for locals, questions remain over what is affecting the appearance of this stretch of river.

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