Experts and campaigners join forces against pollution

Water quality experts and anti-pollution campaigners have joined forces in their efforts to tackle river pollution in Shropshire.

Specialist engineers from Severn Trent met with campaigners from the ‘Up Sewage Creek’ environmental group during a site visit arranged by Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley.

They met at Coton Hill in Shrewsbury, an area where recent sewage pipe upgrades are delivering improvements, according to Severn Trent.

And the water company said this was against a backdrop in which it is making its biggest investment yet – a record £15 billion between now and 2030 “to improve water, protect the environment and support the communities we serve.”

The company said: “This is the most ambitious investment programme in our history. It means upgrading ageing pipes and treatment works, building new infrastructure, enhancing river health, reducing flooding and pollution risks, and making our networks more resilient for future generations.”

Mrs Buckley said: “I felt it important to bring together Severn Trent Water and local campaign group Up Sewage Creek to discuss how we can improve our water quality in Shrewsbury and reduce sewage spills into the River Severn.

“It was good to hear about the massive investment Severn Trent is making to improve water quality. But we very much wanted to focus on the local situation here in Shrewsbury.

“We conducted this site visit with specialist engineers to Coton Hill, where sewage pipe upgrades are helping reduce the volume of rainwater which dilutes sewage in older combined pipe work. In these areas many houses, by the way, are eligible for free installation of garden water butts to capture rainfall so that rainwater can be reused in gardens.

“After inspecting the pipes at Coton Hill, we visited Severn Trent offices at Shelton to learn from drainage planning experts what investment and upgrades are planned for our area in the current Drainage & Waste Water Management Plan (2025-2030).

“The plans are exciting, and also reassuring to anyone worried about the future health of our rivers. And people can read all the details on the Severn Trent website.”

Claire Kirby from the Up Sewage Creek group said: “The meeting went very well. It was interesting and constructive. Up Sewage Creek will of course continue to hold both our MP Julia Buckley and Severn Trent Water to account.”

The MP added: “We also discussed how to involve the public more in consulting on these plans. After all, we all want to see better river health and less pollution, so we need to ensure residents understand why, for example, roads need digging up to replace older combined pipework.

“I think people are willing to tolerate the inconvenience of roads being closed if we know it will lead to a healthier river and less pollution.

“Finally, we heard a presentation from Stormsaver Rainwater Harvesting Systems who installed the rainwater harvesting equipment in the offices.

“This is my dream for all new builds – that all new housing should have rainwater collection facilities so that rainwater – instead of just draining away into the land – can be used for toilet flushing, for example, which has got to be a good thing for our water bills and indeed for the environment.”