Henmore Brook polluted by 1881 hours of storm overflow in 2022
During 2022 this sewage works spilled untreated sewage into a small brook 127 times for a total of 1881 hours - the equivalent of 78 days non-stop.
Data recently released by the Environment Agency show that at least for one local sewage works, problems with storm overflow or 'sewage dumping' have gone from bad to worse. Kniveton Sewage Treatment Works discharged untreated sewage into the Kniveton Brook, a tributary of the Henmore Brook that flows through Ashbourne, for fifteen times longer than it did the previous year.
This makes it the 8th highest spill duration of all the almost 2,500 sewage outfalls operated by Severn Trent Water.
The practice of 'storm dumping' has been widely criticised by those trying to 'clean up' our rivers and will not be welcome news for the Friends of Ashbourne Park who are seeking to improve the water quality of the Henmore Brook as it flows through Fishpond Meadows, a valuable green space in the town.
Kniveton Sewage Works is fully automated but presumably someone somewhere does monitor the data. If so, how can such a dramatic change in the number of times that an overflow event occurred (up from 53 to 127) not be acted upon sooner?
For the moment this is recorded as part of an 'ongoing investigation'.
Wirksworth Sewage Treatment Works which has its outfall into the River Ecclesbourne was an even worse offender, spilling raw sewage 112 times for a total of 1908 hours (80 days). This has been described as due to 'infiltration'.
We await news that the promised 'tougher' stance by the government on water companies that do not 'clean up their act' will produce any significant improvement.
You can comment on their consultation on the problem, details are here https://consult.defra.gov.uk/water-industry/storm-overflows-discharge-reduction-plan/
For the moment, at least in some parts of Derbyshire Dales, things are only getting worse.