Dear Thames Water,
According to your sewer overflow map; your permit with the Environment Agency plus your annual return for storm overflows, the South Park Sewer Overflow (CANM.0918) discharged to the Lake 39 times in 2022, 65 times in 2021 and 69 times in 2020. Conversely Thames Water now says that this sewer doesn’t in fact discharge to the Lake, but to the River Roding via a pipe under the Lake. This would mean that all of the data you have put in the public domain is inaccurate. It also means that this sewer is unconsented, not having an accurate permit, which is a serious breach.
Either way the number of discharges triggers an investigation under the water industry Storm Overflow Assessment Framework (more than 40 spills on average over three years, as recorded by your monitors).
Citing the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 I would like Thames Water to confirm it will:
1) Fully investigate the reasons the overflow is exceeding 40 spills a year. 2) Complete an aesthetics Impact Assessment score for the overflow. 3) Complete an Invertebrate impact score for the overflow 4) Complete a water quality impact score for the overflow. 5) Develop a comprehensive green infrastructure solution to reduce the amount of rain entering the foul sewer network (as stated in your draft Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan). 6) Publish this information in public, on your website, once Defra has given you permission.
The above information will help us understand how sewer overflows are being managed in South Park/Roding. Transparency is fundamental to this process. When the report for the sewer overflow has been completed I request that a copy is sent to me. Electronic answers to the above questions are fine.
Yours faithfully,
Your name