Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 15 December 2004.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much sewage was discharged into the Thames in each month of the last four years.
Table 1 sets out the monthly flow data of sewage discharges from Abingdon, Cassington, Little Marlow and Windsor treatment works directly to the upper freshwater section of the Thames. Secondary and more stringent treatment is provided to the sewage prior to discharge at Abingdon, Little Marlow and Windsor. Discharges from Cassington receive secondary treatment, and are to receive more stringent treatment in 2005.
Month | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
---|---|---|---|---|
January | 2,467,930 | 1,364,441 | 2,662,071 | 1,717,430 |
February | 2,559,654 | 1,758,236 | 1,824,948 | 1,560,620 |
March | 2,732,630 | 1,736,920 | 1,749,267 | 1,509,818 |
April | 2,476,747 | 1,395,060 | 1,543,983 | 1,576,418 |
May | 2,234,910 | 1,531,603 | 1,656,310 | 1,330,036 |
June | 1,872,673 | 1,393,458 | 1,568,915 | 1,098,837 |
July | 1,740,616 | 1,355,047 | 1,391,433 | 1,201,917 |
August | 1,557,598 | 1,618,557 | 1,287,003 | 1,394,409 |
September | 1,515,436 | 1,528,801 | 1,171,360 | 1,482,751 |
October | 1,596,579 | 1,706,734 | 1,198,676 | 1,627,493 |
November | 1,268,180 | 2,047,635 | 1,433,187 | 1,709,499 |
December | 1,120,988 | 1,997,761 | 1,564,898 | n/a |
Note:
All figures are in cubic metres.
Sewage discharges to the Thames estuary are made by three water companies Thames, Anglian and Southern. The following tables concern discharges made by Thames Water.
Table 2 sets out the average monthly volumes of fully treated, to secondary standards, and partially treated, because of excess flows during wet weather, sewage discharges to the Thames from Beckton, Crossness, Long Reach, Mogden and Riverside treatment works. I have provided the monthly average as the volumes are fairly constant throughout the year.
Fully treated sewage from five treatment works | Partially treated sewage from five treatment works | |
---|---|---|
2001 | 75,883,503 | 1,851,077 |
2002 | 73,356,102 | 2,209,715 |
2003 | 75,878,615 | 1,234,308 |
2004 | 70,313,523 | 1,123,331 |
Table 3 sets out the monthly calculated volumes of untreated sewage discharged to the Thames from the five largest pumping stations during wet weather. As no data are available for the other overflows along the Thames Tideway, it is estimated that on average these volumes represent 60 per cent. of the total discharge from London's combined drainage system at these times.
Month | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
---|---|---|---|---|
January | 3,471,000 | 3,009,000 | 12,954,000 | 9,281,000 |
February | 9,279,000 | 4,746,000 | 3,759,000 | 3,240,000 |
March | 8,118,000 | 2,761,000 | 743,000 | 44,000 |
April | 2,688,000 | 2,662,000 | 395,000 | 3,665,000 |
May | 2,322,000 | 2,007,000 | 543,000 | 3,268,000 |
June | 1,757,000 | 3,353,000 | 950,000 | 3,047,000 |
July | 1,742,000 | 1,962,000 | 1,124,000 | 1,260,000 |
August | 4,490,000 | 4,017,000 | 438,000 | 4,945,000 |
September | 2,261,000 | 563,000 | 577,000 | 446,000 |
October | 6,312,000 | 3,961,000 | 2,600,000 | 4,290,000 |
November | 2,400,000 | 12,144,000 | 11,072,000 | 304,000 |
December | 1,096,000 | 11,755,000 | 6,064,000 | n/a |
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