Investigation continues into illegal sewage site spill

A water firm says tests are "ongoing" into an illegal discharge at one of its sewage networks.

The Environment Agency (EA) said the incident at Wheatley Sewage Treatment Works at the River Thame, Oxfordshire, which is managed by Thames Water, "was caused by the actions of a third party".

Thames Water said it was currently "unable to confirm" what the spilled substance was and it continued work with the EA "to ensure minimal impact to the watercourse and full recovery".

An EA spokesperson told the BBC that in terms of the impact of this incident, they believed "the worst is over".

In a statement, Thames Water said it was "working hard to ensure the sewer network is clear of the substance and our sewage treatment works returns to normal operation".

The incident caused for the treatment process at the facility to be "knocked out" and tankers were deployed to divert the wastewater flows to an alternative site.

The EA said they were now investigating together with the firm and was understood that the contaminant entered the system via a public drain.

It added that "a small number of dead fish" had been seen in nearby stream Wheatley Ditch.

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