Thames Water has been cracking down on industrial sewer abuse in West London after Ivo Textiles, a fabric and wallpaper printing company based in Southall, Middlesex, was found to have breached the conditions of their industrial waste agreement over the past four years.
The water company took samples in 2021 and 2022 which showed the textiles and printing company had been committing sewer abuse. Thames Water then met with Ivo Textiles to encourage them to comply with the rules of disposing of waste, however they continued to exceed the allowed levels, which led to legal action.
The items, including ammonia, heavy metals and various materials, jeopardised the final treated effluent produced by the water company, posing a risk to the water company’s assets and the environment.
Ivo Textiles were prosecuted at Uxbridge Magistrates in May, and accumulated fines and costs of over £71,000 which includes £62,000 to the courts and £11,270 to Thames Water to cover legal costs. This comes four years after the first sample was taken and demonstrates the seriousness of exploiting the wastewater system.
Daniel Bourne, Thames Water’s trade effluent manager, said:
“Sewer abuse is part of the everyday challenge we face to keep the sewers flowing to remove and treat customers’ wastewater. In the year 2023/24, 81% of blockages across our network were caused by items in the sewer which should have never been there in the first place. Controlling wastewater from industrial premises is critical to ensure we deliver life’s essential service and return clean water to our rivers.
“Our work to find and stop these offences helps us to maintain our sewer network and protect the environment. We will always look to work with individuals and companies to educate them on the effects sewer abuse has, but we will take legal action as a last resort where the risk is too high.”
Sewer abuse is a major issue for water companies. Every year, Thames Water removes 75,000 blockages from their sewers at a cost of £18 million per year. In 2023/24, 81% of blockages were caused by unflushable items.
