13/06/2026
Analysis of Quarter 1 (Jan-March) 2026 Sewage Discharge Summary around Tewkesbury Town: Twyning Sewage Treatment Works, Lower Lode Pumping Station & Tewkesbury Sewage Treatment Works
1. Summary
Sewage discharges in the three main sites around Tewkesbury town were exceptionally high during the first quarter of 2026, with a total of 2,443.81 hours of sewage releases in three months.
This is the equivalent of 103 days of sewage being released, all day and all night, into the rivers around the Severn Ham over the first three months of 2026.
Looking at the three major sites closest to Tewkesbury town: — Twyning Sewage
Treatment Works (STW), Lower Lode pumping station combined sewage outlet (CSO),
and Tewkesbury STW — all recorded prolonged spills, particularly during February.
2. Key Findings
- Twyning STW and Tewkesbury STW each discharged for around 42 days in total
during first 3 months of 2026.
- Lower Lode Pumping Station discharged for 19.5 days over the same period,
but with over 1,000 individual spill events, indicating severe pump cycling at
the pumping station.
1
- February was the worst month at all three locations, with long continuous spills
lasting up to 12–15 days.
- March showed a marked improvement, suggesting that with a reduced rain fall
the system was responding to reduced groundwater and rainfall pressure.
3. What this means
The pattern across all three sites points to system-wide hydraulic overload, likely
driven by:
- saturated ground conditions
- high river levels
- infiltration into the sewer network
This is consistent with the prolonged wet weather experienced during early 2026.
4. Why this matters
These discharges affect:
- water quality in the Avon and Severn
- public health for river users and dog walkers
- local biodiversity, particularly as these sewage releases will have a ected the Severn Ham, which is a SSSI.
- public confidence in wastewater management
The data highlights the need for:
- maintenance and capital investment in infiltration reduction
- increased storm storage
- improved monitoring and transparency
5. What infrastructure improvements are being undertaken by Severn Trent?
(Information taken from publicly available data: - https://ashleworth.info/wp-
content/uploads/2026/01/Tewkesbury-Council-Meeting-River-Health-1-Members-
copy.pdf)
- At Twyning Sewage Treatment works, there are a number of works underway, which are not due to be completed until 2028, including starting a phosphate reduction scheme, and having a new auxiliary storm tank installed. The size of this tank is not publicly reported. Future investment is reported to be necessary, so it is clear that Severn Trent does not expect the current works to be adequate
2
for Twyning. SafeAvon is concerned that this means it is likely there will be continued winters of significant sewage releases into the Avon.
- At Tewkesbury Sewage Treatment works, planned works were completed by end of 2025 (installation of two new automated storm sewage tanks and effluent tank refurbishments, the size of which are not publicly reported). SafeAvon notes that
these are now proven to be inadequate infrastructure improvements as the data for Q1 2026 demonstrates.
- Severn Trent do not report any specific improvement planned at Lower Lode Pumping Station before 2030.
6. What is SafeAvon calling for?
- Urgent Reporting of sewage dumping volume, not only duration, of spills at these sites and across the Severn Trent network
- Urgent report and response from Severn Trent to understand how this system overload is being dealt with to prevent the same happening next winter, particularly given the likelihood of increased flooding due to the forecasted impacts of El Nino
- Response from the Environment Agency as to what action it has taken, whether
the level of spill is permitted within environmental laws (not just agreed within the site permit), and what action it is taking to ensure that this level of spill is not repeated across the winter of 2027, which is already forecast to be wetter with likelihood of increased flooding due to the likely impacts of El Nino.
7. What is SafeAvon planning to do?
- Ecoli testing on the River Avon: to date, we have only had finances for nitrate and phosphate testing in the rivers. This show the increased nutrient levels to be consistently high and very high in the Tewkesbury area. Given the failures of the water companies and Environment Agency, and reports from local people of sickness after being in the river, we are now raising money to undertake Ecoli testing in the river, around Twyning and Lower Lode.
🚨To support this campaign please contact: Dr Geoff Sallis:
[email protected]🚨
