Saltford Parish Council has received correspondence from Wessex Water to say that – following the recent floods which saw the River Avon breach its banks – they have arranged for a team in a boat to work along the river to collect plastic litter and other items, including sewage debris, from the riverbank. Please see below for the information shared by Wessex Water, including further actions and how the company is addressing sewage debris on the riverbank.
Residents will recall a year ago that Saltford Parish Council called for a ‘safer, cleaner river’ following a huge amount of litter and debris along Saltford’s river banks following flooding. Please find a news article here.
Residents may also be aware that the recent issues of litter along Saltford’s river banks made the BBC lunchtime news on 16 January, as shared on SPC’s Facebook page. The report including the great work carried out by the Saltford Wombles. If litter picking near the river, please take care due to the uneven slippery ground and follow Canal River Trust’s guidance when walking by river side areas in winter.
In its recent contact with SPC, Wessex Water has shared the following information:
Saltford – River Avon debris following heavy rainfall
After every major storm there is an accumulation of debris which can come from our sewerage network, private sewage treatment facilities, highway run-off and street litter. The River Avon is a huge catchment spanning many miles so it’s hard to identify exactly where all the items have come from.
Sewage debris can come from our network when storm overflows automatically operate during extreme weather events to protect properties from flooding. Many of these overflows have screens to prevent debris making its way to the river.
Now the river level has dropped, we’ve arranged for a team in a boat to work along the river to collect plastic litter and other items, including sewage debris, from the riverbank. They started last week and will be working along the riverbank for several days between Newbridge and Saltford.
How does sewage debris end up on the riverbank?
Sewers have capacity for sewage, but not for the sheer volume of rainwater that entered the sewerage network last week following the torrential rain. Numerous items of litter; sewage debris from private sewage treatment facilities; and regrettably from our sewerage network, entered the river.
The biggest issue is wet wipes, which simply don’t breakdown. We’ve campaigned long and hard for manufacturers to change packaging so it’s clear they shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet. Our teams will be working for many days collecting wet wipes, general waste and other items along the river.
What are Wessex Water doing about it?
We’re investing £3m a month on reducing storm overflows, which aren’t fit for the 21s century. This will help protect waterways such as the River Avon. We have proposed to double the amount of investment from 2025 to 2030, subject to regulatory approval.
Additionally, £35 million is being invested at Saltford water recycling centre – with work started – to increase the capacity of the nearby water recycling centre by 40%. This will allow us to store more water during extreme weather, which will also reduce storm overflows. Nearly £1 million will also be spent to dramatically reduce the automatic operation of a storm overflow along the river to the east of Saltford, while also helping to protect wildlife and the environment close to its banks.
Image of Wessex Water teams litter picking debris from Saltford’s river banks, taken by Cllr Phil Harding in March 2023 (following last year’s floods).