Growing concern amidst local residents as disgusting waste is discovered in a Thames tributary.
In 2021, sewage leaked into the River Wandle 40 times according to Rivers Trust and recently, the river has been running brown near Beddington Farmlands sewage works following another sewage release.
The River Wandle is a tributary of the River Thames in South London, England. The river has a total length of 14km and passes through the London boroughs of Croydon, Sutton, Merton, and Wandsworth, where it reaches the Thames.
Roger Lewis, an elderly man who lives alongside the river, was shocked after the sewage outfall.
"It's appalling," he said, "many people swim, fish, and play in this river and it is shocking that this keeps occurring. Some areas of the river already suffer from dumped plastic, and this has caused a horrible stench that has destroyed the historic beauty of this river."
The Wandle Trust (part of an environmental charity which aims to deliver healthy river ecosystems across the south east) is looking for volunteers to join their Pollution Patrol scheme. Find out more at info@southeastriverstrust.org
