The Labour Group at Swindon Borough Council has tabled a motion calling for urgent action over sewage pollution, following fresh revelations about the scale of discharges into rivers both locally and across the country.
The move comes after new figures showed repeated sewage releases into waterways in and around Swindon, alongside national attention generated by Channel 4’s recent programme Dirty Business, which explores the wider problems surrounding England’s privatised water industry.
According to data highlighted in the motion, the River Ray experienced 48 sewage discharges during 2024, lasting a combined 629 hours. Meanwhile Danes Brook saw 150 separate incidents over the same period, totalling 2,859 hours.
Councillors backing the motion argue the figures point to a deeper issue within the water sector and say stronger action is needed from Government and regulators.
Nationally, investigations suggest that Thames Water has released an estimated 72 billion litres of sewage into rivers since 2020, while pollution incidents have reportedly increased by around 50 per cent based on the latest 2024 figures.
At the same time, critics have pointed to the company’s financial history since privatisation, which has included billions of pounds in dividends paid to shareholders over several decades.
Councillor Jim Robbins, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said residents are increasingly concerned about the state of local rivers.
He said: “Residents are rightly furious. Our rivers are being treated as open sewers while Thames Water’s shareholders continue to profit. This is unacceptable, and Swindon will not stay silent.
“We are calling on the Prime Minister to bring Thames Water back into public ownership. The Government must also strengthen regulation and stop Thames Water from paying out further dividends until rivers in our region meet clean water standards.”
The motion also reflects growing national debate about the future of the water industry. Campaigners and commentators have argued that the current regulatory system is failing to prevent pollution while infrastructure struggles to keep pace with demand.
Channel 4’s Dirty Business has brought renewed public attention to the issue, examining how water companies operate and the challenges regulators face in holding them to account.
Within Swindon, Labour councillors are pushing for several measures if their motion is supported. These include asking Thames Water representatives to appear regularly before the council’s Scrutiny Committee and improving transparency about sewage discharges affecting local waterways.
The motion also calls for wider national reforms, including potential public ownership of Thames Water and restrictions on shareholder payouts until environmental standards are met.
Councillor Robbins added that the issue goes beyond local politics.
He said: “The Government needs to act quickly to deal with this problem. Our administration in Swindon will continue to stand with residents and push for cleaner rivers, better oversight and real accountability.”
The motion is expected to be debated by councillors in the coming weeks.
