Campaigners have revealed how a stretch of river used for the Henley Royal Regatta is being “severely impacted” by sewage pollution.
The local community is “extremely concerned” that the weakened financial position of Thames Water will lead to increased pollution of the Henley Mile.
Hundreds of rowers took to the water for the rowing event between June 27 and July 2.
Sir Steve Redgrave, chairman of Henley Royal Regatta said: “We are deeply concerned about the impact that sewage pollution is having on our beautiful river.
“Sewage pollution is harming the environment that we enjoy and respect so much. I canoe from my home town of Marlow at Longridge. There’s a water treatment plant there and sometimes you can see from the colour of the water that there has been a discharge – it’s not somewhere I would ever want to fall in.
“We have to improve this situation so that we can preserve wildlife and make our rivers safe for everyone who uses them.”
Testing undertaken both upstream and downstream of Henley Sewage Treatment Works (STW) showed levels of E-coli and intestinal enterococci spiked significantly after rainfall on June 20, with levels increasing fourfold.
This means the water posed a serious risk to human health during these times, campaigners said.
Levels of phosphate and nitrate along the Henley Mile throughout the four weeks were consistently double the levels considered ecologically damaging for rivers, indicating that the River Thames at Henley is excessively nutrient enriched and in a very poor condition.
The River Thames at Henley is in poor ecological health and can also represent a health risk to river users, the analysis by Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP) showed.
James Wallace, chief executive of River Action said: “Wildlife along the Thames is collapsing and river users are at serious risk.
“The Government and industry are treating our national life support system like a diseased open sewer while staring down the barrel of a freshwater emergency.
“However, it’s time to end the culture of blame and denial. Unravelling the financial mess left by rampant profiteering and deregulation must not distract us from rescuing our rivers together.
“Thames Water and the Government must admit culpability and invest in modernising infrastructure and enforcing the law, targeting exposed communities like Henley.”
The chief executive of Thames Water stepped down last week amid serious questions over the debt-laden firm’s future, with some suggesting re-nationalising the system as a solution.
Thames Water has been contacted for a comment.
