Alex is ratcheting up the pressure on Severn Trent to improve water quality in the River Chelt.
Following a report by the Rivers Trust that a storm overflow near Dowdeswell Reservoir was intermittently discharging foul water into the river, Alex turned detective to track it down. He discovered it in a stretch of river near the junction of East End Road and the London Road.
He has now gone a step further and called a meeting on-site with Severn Trent to inspect the site and seek answers.
Alex viewed a large underground chamber called a ‘combined sewage overflow’ (CSO) near the A40 which normally channels sewage on its way through Cheltenham and towards the treatment works at Hayden to the west of GCHQ.
But when it rains, storm water rolls off the nearby hill and roads and enters the sewerage system. Then, to avoid toilets backing up in Charlton Kings, a weir system in the CSO allows excess water to vent into the Chelt.
ST are adamant that at that point the discharge is over 90% rainwater. Alex stated this was 'not very reassuring', adding "It is completely unacceptable for any sewage to be getting to the river in this day and age."
Alex said: "Although I believe in free markets, I’m afraid these discharges also show the unacceptable face of capitalism. After so much money has been creamed off by shareholders and senior executives (including over £17m to the chief exec of Severn Trent since 2014 by the way) it is unconscionable that ST have failed to invest in new infrastructure to prevent overflows. Billpayers are being fobbed off.
"Under laws passed by Parliament, ST is required to produce its action plan to reduce discharges. I welcome ST’s commitment to that process, and I’ll be scrutinising the plans closely.
"Let me be clear: it is now or never for ST to invest in putting this right. If they fail to act in the public interest, the pressure for renationalisation will only grow."