Shropshire Star

Protest planned against dumping of sewage in the River Severn

Residents in Shrewsbury are planning a mass protest against sewage and other forms of pollution being dumped in the River Severn.

Published
Protesters at Benbow Quay in Shrewsbury

A movement has grown up in the county town following a residents' meeting in Coton Hill last month when campaigners vowed to put the pressure on local politicians and water company Severn Trent.

Their anger grew when MPs – including those in Shropshire – failed to vote for immediate measures to bring pollution to an end. The compromise they reached is just not good enough, they claim.

"It's barbaric that sewage is allowed to go straight into the rivers," said campaigner Claire Kirby. "We might as well just chuck it straight out of the windows into the river.

"The system has been under-invested in over the years and we are having more and more housing built."

Campaigners want the water companies to invest in preventing the problem and for politicians to vote to stop it completely.

Claire added: "If you look at the Rivers Trust website and add up all the hours that all the sewage outflows in Shrewsbury were discharging sewage into the river in 2020 it comes to 21,000 hours."

"We are Shrewsbury residents who are fed up seeing sewage in the River Severn," says the group's website Up Sewage Creek.

"Can you help us get our MP and the water companies to clean up their act?"

At least 50 campaigners meet in Coton Hill in October to draw up their battle plans after hearing the full grim details of how raw sewage and other pollutants are dumped into the river.

It happens when it rains heavily and the town's old Victorian sewers cannot cope. They are allowed to overflow into the river.

"Raw sewage is being discharged into the River Severn in Shrewsbury and it's killing our beautiful river," say the campaigners.

"Water quality, wildlife and human health are all being affected."

They want to see "proper government regulation" of the water industry.

"We have had enough," they add.

"We want the Severn to flourish before Shrewsbury's Big Town Plan becomes more about 'rivercide' than 'riverside'."

Campaigners with the group "Up Sewage Creek" have been busy making costumes including fish heads, or to do with anything water life, poo-shaped, nautical or river wear. People have been invited to wear sou'westers, flippers, rubber rings, paddles, goggles, flippers, and waders.

They are planning to meet up on the river path opposite Benbow Quay, in Coton Hill, on Saturday morning.

They are set to walk along the river marking all 11 sewage outfalls along the route, having a laugh and making a noise before finishing at English Bridge.

Bystanders will be asked to support the protest and sign letters to Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski and Severn Trent Water. The letters will be presented in the days after the protest.

Protestors have created a website called upsewagecreek.com and a Facebook group facebook.com/groups/upsewagecreek

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