For more information on the Sewage Action Group for the Lambourn Upper Valley (SAGLUV), please see the section at the foot of this post (red heading). Updates will be provided below, the most recent first, as soon as possible after the group supplied them.

More information about the Lambourn Valley can be found in Penny Post’s Lambourn Valley Weekly News, updated every Thursday evening and at other times as necessary. This includes news stories, events, information on voluntary and community groups and updates from the town and parish councils.

SAGLUV update: 12 November 2025

Summary

This begins with the reminder that with groundwater levels very low and still dropping, and only average rainfall this autumn, it would be easy to get a bit complacent – but that is not SAGLUV’s position: nor, it encouragingly seems, is it Thames Water’s.

The SAGLUV team was recently invited to a progress review meeting with Thames Water: the results were, the report says, “most encouraging”. Investment is being made in several areas including reducing sewer flooding in properties, catchment sewer lining, pumping stations, rising mains and the East Shefford treatment works.

SAGLUV also takes a look at the perennial problem of wet wipes containing plastics which Thames Water claims is the leading cause of pollution indcidents. A staggering 3.8 billion of these are removed every year from TW’s nework with the largest weighing about a hundred tonnes. These statistics are staggering, disgusting and avoidable.

SAGLUV asks the question many have also asked, whether these things should be banned. I think we know the answer to that. “Don’t be fooled by those marked ‘flushable’,” the report adds. “It’s true they will vanish from sight, but they don’t break down and the blocking effect is the same.”

“A further meeting with TW’s Operations Team will be held in the New Year, and another strategic level session is planned for the spring. Thames Water is certainly demonstrating a continued commitment to working with SAGLUV, for which we are extremely grateful.”

It was not always thus. The fact this is happening is in large part due to public pressure, with organisations like SAGLUV and the Lambourn Valley Flood Forum in the forfront. There are hundreds of such groups across the country. It’s a shame we need them and one day it’s to hoped that we won’t. However, as long as we do we’re very to have them.

The full report

Please click here.

SAGLUV update: 23 September 2025

Summary

Our last report detailed the improvements that had been made to the sewerage network and also highlighted some other problem areas that had been found.

We recently met with Thames Water’s Regional Operations Team to review the latest progress on the necessary planned remedial work. We don’t have exact dates and details yet as these are being finalised with contractors, but we will be informed as soon as these plans are complete. However, the very positive headlines for the last few months include the following:

• There were no major spills in Eastbury, East Garston or Great Shefford. Some maintenenance and relining work is planned for the next few months.
• There was, however, “very major groundwater infiltration” in Weston: relining works and investigations into problems possible caused by private sewers will take place in the autumn.
• It’s hoped that two recently developments in Shefford –  the upgraded sewage treatment works and the flood defence scheme – will in their different ways help to improve the local situation.
• In Lambourn and Upper Lambourn (not part of SAGLUV’s remit, though the network there feeds into the East Shefford Treatment Works) there was a more mixed picture, with “significant infiltration and sewer spillages” in Upper Lambourn (though none in Lambourn) and faults identified in the network, with private sewers again possibly being partly responsible. However, the ATAC filtration unit in Lambourn was only deployed for six weeks in 2024-25  compared to twenty-six in 2023-24.

“We  are cautiously optimistic that the works outlined in this report will get completed,” SAGLUV concludes. “This will take us a few steps further towards achieving our objective of ‘clear sewers and a clean river’. It’s taking time, and no doubt further infiltration points will be found along the way when the groundwater levels make investigation possible, but we are already in a much better place than we were.”

The full report

Please click here. This also includes an additional update that was added on 23 September.

SAGLUV update: 13 June 2025

Now that groundwater levels are subsiding after the winter highs, we can breathe more easily, and take this opportunity to review how we fared with sewage flooding issues during the high risk period of the last six months.

Some of the points this report contains, you may have seen in previous updates, however, together with some new developments that have occurred in the last few months, they are included here to give a more complete picture, in particular for those reading about SAGLUV for the first time.

Summary

For Eastbury, East Garston and Great Shefford, it’s been good news. The last six months have been mainly trouble-free, despite groundwater reaching levels higher than when we started needing tankers and the ATAC filter unit in the winter of 2023/24. However, the sewers were full for many months and there were some close calls on a few occasions. These were caused by either brief heavy rainfall, or blockages which needed one or two tankers for a few hours. There were no major spillages and limited problems with sanitary facilities.

Although the ATAC filter unit in East Garston was installed and ready, in the end it was not required and there were no prolonged tanker runs in any of the three villages either. It appears that the relining and manhole work carried out by Thames Water (TW) in the summer 2024 was largely successful.

There were other factors that contributed to the positive result: the Envronment Agency’s (EA) weed cutting in Eastbury helped greatly by keeping the river in its banks; and the Eastbury and Great Shefford Flood Alleviation schemes may well have prevented sewer manholes from being submerged. WBC’s efforts with ditch and grip clearing also played their part.

Encouragingly, TW carried out further intensive camera surveys of its infrastructure to find more infiltration points. These will be addressed this year. TW acknowledges that with the aging sewerage infrastructure, there is not a “one fix” resolution, rather a recurring process of investigation, finding leaks, repairing, investigation – and so on. However, 2024 saw some major steps being taken.

Although for the upper villages the outcome has been positive, further downstream, problems have been encountered at the East Shefford Sewage Treatment Works, and particularly in the village of Weston. This will be covered in detail in the main body of this report. We’re delighted to announce that Dan Rampton has joined SAGLUV to represent Weston, as that village is now included in our remit. We can also confirm that 500m of sewer relining in Weston is imminent.

Although outside of the scope of SAGLUV, it was encouraging to see that the sewage issues in Lambourn also saw an improvement, with only a few isolated spillages, and the ATAC filter unit being utilised for far fewer weeks than previously.

We are cautiously optimistic that with the further development of the new Thames Water Wastewater management structure, which started to be implemented last year, and the priority given to the Lambourn Valley, real progress is being made in resolving our sewage issues.

For the detailed report

Please click here and then click on the link at the foot of the June 2025 update to download the full report.

SAGLUV update: 19 January 2025

Our last SAGLUV update was issued in November 2024. Two months seems a long time for a follow-up, but in truth, the situation hasn’t changed very much, which in some ways is a relief…

We said then that the impact of the various relining and repair works carried out by Thames Water during the summer and autumn, could not be fully assessed until the groundwater levels rose to cover the sewer pipes. Since November, those levels have been rising, sufficient for the EA to issue a groundwater flood risk alert, but not really high enough for a thorough test of the work. During the last few weeks the levels plateaued, but have just started to show a slight rise again, so no real test yet.

However, there are some positive signs! TW assure us that their monitoring, and comparison of data from previous years, has shown the 450m of relining and sealing work in Eastbury has reduced the ingress into the system. This has a positive effect, not only in Eastbury, where no sewer problems have been reported yet, but also down through the network in East Garston and Great Shefford. As stated above, it is difficult to assess the full impact until groundwater levels rise further.

But we have to be cautious. In East Garston there is still evidence of some groundwater ingress resulting in some higher than normal levels in the sewer, but generally, the pumping station is coping with it. There is however a problem when we get heavy rain and surface water run-off from roads and house roofs fill the part charged sewer pipes, leading to temporary backing up. The ATAC filter unit is installed ready to be switched on when necessary, but that hasn’t been needed yet, and the EA do not permit the unit to be used unless there is a spillage, or an imminent spillage that will go into the river.

To put it into perspective, in EG the groundwater level is already higher now, than it was in early winter 2023/24 when tankers had to be used, followed by the installation of the ATAC unit. So again, there is cautious optimism that we are in a better place than we were last year.

In Great Shefford, the flood alleviation scheme is not yet complete, but a temporary solution will be in place to avoid the flooding that has been experienced in the past. It is hoped that this, and the relining work, will also help prevent the sewer flooding that was suffered last year. There have been no reports of problems yet.

SAGLUV Meeting with Thames Water and Lanes 13 December 2024

All of the above observations support the information that we were given at our meeting with Tessa Fayers, TW’s Director for Wastewater, Ty Harling, Operations Director for Lanes Contractors, and Jenny Pearson, the newly appointed Thames Valley Regional Manager, for TW.

TW confirmed that the planned relining and sealing work had been completed, and that regular follow-up inspections would made to assess the impact, and to look for other ingress points, as the water table rose.

At our previous meeting with the TW/Lanes team, we in SAGLUV had expressed our concern about the efficacy of some of the Lanes and other Contractors teams who were often the “face” of TW to customers. TW/Lanes committed then to return to the subject at this November meeting, and this they did. From their response, we believe that they have taken on board a number of the points we had made. We have certainly seen a lot more inspection and monitoring activity in our villages over the last month.

They explained that, each autumn, TW and Lanes draw up a very detailed Winter Plan that covers all aspects of the contract work to be carried out. This includes: the planned work, contingencies, resourcing, customer relations and communications, and many other relevant operational topics.

TW/Lanes shared the detailed content of this plan with us, some in confidence, and although it is common knowledge that TW are faced with severe financing challenges that impose limits on what can be done, we were left in no doubt that TW and Lanes have in place an extremely comprehensive plan that covers all foreseeable, and possibly unforeseeable, eventualities.

One of the most encouraging aspects that came out of it is that our upper part of the Lambourn Valley is very high on their list of priority areas, with several of our locations noted as “hot spots”. TW have told us this before, but to see it in black and white in an important planning document, certainly reinforces it.

The fact that this was the third meeting we have had with Thames Water’s senior director who is responsible for Wastewater throughout the whole of TW’s domain, including London, is also an indication of just how much focus they are putting on our small area. We are convinced that any failings that may occur this winter will be down to TW’s financial limitations rather than lack of attention.

Lambourn Valley Flood Forum meeting 13 January 2025

The key points coming out of this meeting were:

• Groundwater levels are already past the threshold where TW would have expected to see some flooding problems prior to the relining and sealing work that was carried out in the villages during the summer and early autumn, but the levels are not as high as the peak of last year.
• Confirmation from TW that they are convinced that the work has had a beneficial effect and has helped to prevent sewer flooding. It has not been necessary for the ATAC filter units in Lambourn and East Garston to be switched on yet.
• Evidence of the improvements are seen at the pumping stations. For example, at East Garston SPS, in normal times with no sewer flooding, the pumps are expected to be working for about 3 hours a day, this week they are working for 7 hours a day. At the peak last year they were pumping 24/7 and still not coping.
• However, TW’s follow-up investigations and camera work have identified some sections in the relining that require slight modification to stop some ingress where the relining has been bypassed.
• They have also found a number of additional groundwater ingress points which will go onto the list for attention this summer. Some of these are in the main network, but some are in private drains, and TW will be discussing these with the property owners. TW have explained in the past that this relining and sealing work is an ongoing process as new ingress points develop, and are discovered, as repair work continues. The pressure of groundwater down at sewer level is enormous, and will continue to find weak spots in the network.
• TW acknowledges the point made earlier in this report, that with part charged sewers, any excessive rainwater getting into the network could cause temporary problems. This is something that TW will be taking into consideration in their planning.
• A bit further down the Valley at Weston, tankers are operating continuously and a number of infiltration points have been identified which will be tackled with relining this summer.
• Further to a point that was made by the SAGLUV representative at the last WBC Scrutiny Commission meeting, it was confirmed that there is now more regular communication and co-operation between WBC, EA and TW when attempting to address joint problems. If this continues, it will be a very positive development.

Now we just have to wait and see what is happening with groundwater levels. These are notoriously difficult to predict and we are seeking the latest forecast from the experts.

Fingers crossed for no significant increase, but we have to admit that hasn’t always worked in the past!

As always, please report any sewer or pollution problems to:

• Thames Water: Sewage and wastewater flooding | Contact us | Thames Water  or 0800 316 9800
• Environment Agency: Report an environmental incident – GOV.UK  or 0800 80 70 60

And please also let your Village SAGLUV representative know as well so that we can follow it up with the relevant agency:

• Eastbury: Andrew Gorton villagewardens@eastbury.org
• East Garston: Martyn Wright martynwright345@btinternet.com
• Great Shefford: Louisa Freeman greatsheffordpc@hotmail.com

SAGLUV update: 14 November 2024

Groundwater levels are now touching Thames Water’s Red Warning threshold for risk of sewer flooding (East Garston threshold). Although it’s very early days, as of last week, there has been little sign of infiltration or flooding yet, and the rate of rise of groundwater is slowing. So far so good! However, we are being warned by all the relevant agencies, EA, WBC and TW, that we can expect this winter’s groundwater levels to reach a similar level to those seen in 2014. This forecasting is not an exact science, but many will remember the extensive groundwater flooding and resultant sewer flooding that we suffered then.

Piers Allison of the Pang Valley Flood Forum has kindly modified his website pages to cover the Lambourn Valley. The prime purpose of the site is to provide a more detailed view of flood risk and warnings, by providing data that gives us a better understanding of the links between rainfall, groundwater and flooding, and of course, the implications for sewage pollution. More detailed information about this site will be found shortly on the Parish Council websites.

The big question is whether or not the remedial work carried out by TW on their sewerage infrastructure, and preparations for mitigation that have been made, have put us in a better position to cope now than back in 2014. The short answer is – we don’t know yet!

We are assured by TW that all the relining and manhole sealing work that was planned for 2024 has been completed in Eastbury, East Garston and Great Shefford. However, they are continuing to make checks on the network to spot any further points of infiltration as the water continues to rise and cover more pipework. This is the time when TW can spot “misconnections” i.e. leaks in private drains to sewers, or sometimes situations where groundwater has been diverted into the sewer network. This, of course, is not permitted.

Eastbury suffered fresh occurrences of sewage overflow issues in April 2024 at a time when ground water levels were falling. Surface flooding was the indirect cause of this. An accumulation of excess vegetation in the river channel, as a result of vigorous growth, restricted flow rates leading to breaching of banks in the village centre. Flooding on to the road, covering inspection chamber covers, led to water ingress into the sewer pipe network, with the typical consequence of renewed discharges of raw sewage onto roads at the eastern end of the village.

Eastbury Village Wardens requested a weed cut in the river channel by the Environment Agency. This was granted and the road flooding abated as a direct result of the controlled removal of vegetation. The sewage discharge problems were thus solved. The EA then agreed to allocate a budget for routine weed cutting in Eastbury, and this commitment currently remains.

In East Garston, the installation of the ATAC filter unit that was planned for December has been brought forward and the unit is already in place and being set up. Although welcome, to put it in context, this is a least worse solution. The sewage is not treated. The unit simply filters the effluent before being discharged, albeit highly diluted, directly into the river. This helps the pumping station to cope with the excessive flows and hopefully removes the need to discharge unfiltered raw sewage into the river, as used to happen regularly.

With luck, the unit won’t have to be used, but it will be ready if needed. Hopefully tankers won’t have to be used again this winter, but TW’s contingency plans include their deployment in the three villages if necessary.

Many will have seen the massive construction project being undertaken alongside the Wantage Road in Great Shefford. This is not, as some people think, a Thames Water project, but is in fact, a Flood Alleviation Scheme initiated by Great Shefford PC, with the support of EA and WBC.

When completed, in early 2025, it will divert the winterbourne stream that flows alongside the Wantage Road, and which has caused serious flooding in some years. The scheme is designed to divert the stream via a pipe feeding it into the river, bypassing the properties that were previously affected. As this stream has previously impacted the sewerage network with additional infiltration, it is believed that TW’s network will also benefit from the scheme when it is completed.

Some of last winter’s sewage problems were also caused by slow response to reports from residents eg clearing blockages or tankers failing to arrive. We at SAGLUV have raised these concerns with TW at director level, and have received assurances that improvements have been made to customer services and contractor processes. We will be keeping a very close watch on this in the coming months. We need residents to report sewage incidents, and however frustrating it is, to do so repeatedly if necessary.

Nobody is claiming that any, or all, of the above will guarantee a trouble-free winter, but at least some serious attempts have been made to reduce sewage flooding and mitigation plans have been prepared if the sewers are overwhelmed. It’s a case of hope for the best, but prepare for the worst!

Mention has been made previously of the WBC Scrutiny Commission meeting in October where TW, EA and WBC were held to account on flooding and sewage issues. You can click here to see the draft minutes of the meeting.

You can even watch the video: but a word of warning, the meeting went on for three and a half hourrs Having said that, the scrutiny procedure is an interesting and valuable process, whereby we, the public, can observe our elected representatives, and others, interrogate and challenge the various agencies that are responsible for providing us with essential services.

As well as questions during the meeting, representatives of the various interested parties, including SAGLUV, also submitted a number of questions in advance. Thames Water gave a detailed presentation including their answers to the many questions raised. See (Public Pack)Supplementary Agenda Pack 3 – Thames Water Presentation and Q&A Agenda Supplement for Scrutiny Commission, 17/10/2024 18:00  At 50 pages long, it takes some perseverance to get through it all, but there is some very relevant information, including details of the work carried out locally.

If you have any queries related to this update, or wish to report any incident of concern, please feel free to contact your local SAGLUV representative:

• Andrew Gorton (Eastbury) villagewardens@eastbury.org
• Martyn Wright (East Garston) martynwright345@btinternet.com
• Louisa Freeman (Great Shefford) greatsheffordpc@hotmail.com

SAGLUV update: 2 October 2024

I don’t need to tell you that September was wet. The data just released from the Met Office for the month, certainly confirms it. Rainfall in Berkshire and the adjacent counties was more than three times the monthly average.For the serious weather watchers here is the detail: Record-breaking rainfall for some this September – Met Office.

What does this mean for us? Well, until recently, the groundwater level had been steadily dropping, but is now showing signs of levelling off or possibly even rising. Comparing the situation with last winter, the water table is currently higher than this time last year – and we’ve had more rain this year than last, and that was before September’s contribution! So I think we can be fairly certain that we are in for another winter of high groundwater and all that comes with it.

I will be attending two relevant meetings in October – WBC Scrutiny Commission, and Lambourn Valley Flood Forum, both at which Thames Water, WBC, and Environment Agency  will be present and talking about this very subject. I’ll therefore be able to give you a more detailed update at the end of the month.

I’ll now don my SAGLUV hat, as high groundwater levels, of course, have implications for potential sewer flooding and all the disruption that brings. However, there is good news to report on this front.

I have previously shared with you the Thames Water plans with regard to sewer re-lining, repairs and manhole sealing in Eastbury, East Garston and Great Shefford. In ongoing communications with TW, we have been regularly assured that TW was more or less on schedule with the work and this was confirmed again last week.

I went to the Thames Water drop-in session in Lambourn last Wednesday. TW certainly put a lot of effort into the day. It was constructive, with plenty of knowledgeable staff on hand to answer a range of questions about their sewer networks and the work they have been doing to make them more resilient to groundwater flooding. TW assured me that all the planned work had been completed, bar a final few manholes to be sealed in Eastbury which were due to be done by the end of last week.

And in East Garston, SSE have cleared some branches around their cables that will enable TW to position the ATAC filtration Unit at the pumping station. TW are hoping that the work they’ve done will mean that the unit is not needed, but they plan to install it in December as a precautionary measure, just in case. TW have also carried out a major refurb of the pumping station with two new pumps installed along with other improvements.

There’s no doubt that our three villages have had a great deal of attention from Thames Water.

Incidentally, a major sewer re-lining/repair project has also been approved for Lambourn and Upper Lambourn, so good news for our neighbours, and the river as well.

Only time will tell how effective this round of re-lining and repairs have been, and they are certainly going to be severely tested this winter. We know that making our old decaying sewers resilient to flooding is an ongoing challenge, and this won’t be the end of the campaign. But rest assured, we at SAGLUV will be monitoring and following progress very closely indeed!

SAGLUV update: 19 August 2024

Here is the latest update from the Sewage Action Group Lambourn Upper Valley about the relining/repair work that is now underway.

Following SAGLUV’s senior level meeting with Thames Water’s Waste Water Operations Director, and Lanes’ (contractors) Senior Field Operations manager, that we reported on a few weeks ago, a further meeting was held on 24 July at Regional Field Operations level to go through the detailed work plans for the relining and manhole sealing project starting in Eastbury, followed by East Garston and Great Shefford. We were told that the work would be carried out by specialist contractors, OnSite, commencing at the end of July to be completed by end of August or early September.

As it seems that the area hasn’t exactly been overrun with engineers with shovels, pipes and assorted equipment, we followed up progress with TW last week.

We are told that the work has started and is on track to finish within the predicted timescale. Apparently, much of the work done so far has not always been on main thoroughfares in the public eye, hence the lack of visible progress. However, there are some road closures planned shortly (if they haven’t already happened) near the Eastbury Plough and the site of the old Village Hall, where more obvious work will be completed.

Here is an extract from the update email we received with the detail:

“I can confirm OnSite has completed 28 individual liners (short lengths). No major set-ups were required, most being in private gardens or tucked away off the main road. The team has been speaking to local residents and answered any questions. The work they have completed has only required small vans and remote equipment, so I believe this is why you are reporting no one is seeing them as there may be an expectation of big set ups and disruption which they are trying to keep to a minimum.

“There are three long-length liners outstanding and 17 manholes left to seal, the lengths left require a road closure and Onsite are awaiting highways to approve the road closures, within the road closure five manholes will also be sealed, but the remaining 12 will be done next week.”

As TW cannot directly supervise all the work, they have to rely on the contractors sticking to their agreed work plans, With the many jobs being undertaken in a limited window of opportunity when groundwater levels allow, it is understandable that it is difficult for TW to keep everyone abreast of what is happening on a daily basis. However, it is frustrating to be left wondering.

We believe that the Eastbury work is underway, and we have now been told that the remaining work will be carried out in all three villages at the same time. An OnSite team has been seen in EG, but evidence is anecdotal rather than definitive. 

Rest assured, we will keep the pressure on to ensure, as best we can, that the work will be completed as per the schedule. We are also looking at ways to improve the communication chain, without taking up the time of the Field Operations people.

One thing that would help us to keep their feet to the fire, is feedback from you, the residents. We would welcome any reported sightings of OnSite or TW activity in your area, so if you could let your local SAGLUV representative know, that would be much appreciated.

We will issue a further update early in September, hopefully, with good news…

SAGLUV update: 23 July 2024

SAGLUV update: 5 July 2024

Groundwater levels are dropping and our immediate sewage problems have subsided. As a result, the tankers are no longer needed at Eastbury and Great Shefford: while at East Garston, the ATAC Filter Unit has been removed and some pump repairs completed at the Pumping Station.

But this doesn’t mean that SAGLUV can relax! Far from it. We are chasing up TW for confirmation that the promised work will be completed during the coming months. Hopefully we will have further detailed news about this in the coming weeks, and of course, we will keep you informed of progress on this crucial project.

SAGLUV update: 29 May 2024

Rumour has it that summer is just around the corner. What can we expect? Heat wave? Drought? Who knows, but no sign of it yet..

So, before the BBQs and rosé grab your attention, we thought a quick update on the less pleasant issue of sewage wouldn’t go amiss.

Groundwater levels are steadily dropping now, and we are at the stage when we can start thinking about saying goodbye to the ATAC unit and tankers (at least until next winter) We are not there yet, and a prolonged period of rain will delay things further. At least we’re heading in the right direction.

But in case anyone thinks that SAGLUV and Thames Water will be relaxing and taking a breather, that is definitely not the case. In fact, this is a busy time, when TW has only a few weeks to find further infiltration leaks as the groundwater is still coming in, but whilst the levels in sewers are low enough to spot them. This is done by manual inspection of manholes, and by clever cameras that can travel along the sewer pipes. And we in SAGLUV will be pressing hard to ensure the promised relining and repair work is actually done.

Here is a quick roundup of what’s been happening in our villages:

• Eastbury

The weeks since our last report have been quite eventful. The tanker operation continued, as although the groundwater levels continued to drop, the sewage problems got worse. Manholes were overflowing where they hadn’t previously and loos were backing up too.

The problem was the ranunculus plants in the river that had grown very quickly and had caused the river to come out of its banks, resulting in flooded roads and additional ingress of water into the sewer network. The Village Wardens, James and Andrew, persuaded the EA to do a cut and within a day the river was down and the sewers were back under control. James and Andrew have requested that EA carry out a further cut as the ranunculus is still growing fast, and they don’t want to let it get out of hand again.

The tanker operation was stood down and things were getting back to normal: then a series of localised manhole overflows occurred. These were traced back to problems with the FLIP units that pump some sections of the sewer into the pumping station. A partial fix has been implemented with further pipework repairs planned when levels drop sufficiently.

In the last few days you may have seen roadworks and a large puddle at Newtown as you approach Eastbury from the east, at the same location that suffered so badly from sewage overflows previously. However, it appears that this time it is a water leak – as if we didn’t have enough water around already…

But after a few weeks of turmoil, currently, the sewage situation in Eastbury seems to be under control.

• East Garston

For all intents and purposes, the sewage situation in EG is back to normal. No problems have been reported recently with manholes or loos. The ATAC unit is still running, but this may well be turned off and removed in the near future. TW has found a problem with a pump in the Pumping Station which will have to be sorted out before it can finally confirm that the ATAC unit can be removed.

A team of six engineers came out last week to inspect all manholes and to look for signs of infiltration. Sue and I had a useful hour and a half’s meeting with them afterwards to review what they had found and to discuss future work plans. They had found some leaks which they will be following up and may bring the camera unit out to investigate further possible ingress points. They also found a number of cases where rainwater drainage was entering their system, which can have an impact at times of high groundwater flooding, and they will be following this up as well in the coming weeks.

• Great Shefford

The tanker operation is still underway: however, a few weeks ago it was very intermittent and residents were suffering the usual problems with loos and showers when tankers were absent. This unsatisfactory situation was taken up with TW, and since then the tankers have been present on a more regular basis. This seems to have resolved the issue, and hopefully, with the water table dropping, it won’t be too long before the tanker operation can be stopped.

We will be seeking a formal progress review meeting with TW in the coming weeks when they should have a clearer picture of when the repair and relining work can be started. We’ll keep you updated as and when we find out more.

SAGLUV update: 6 April 2024

The Sewage Action Group for the Lambourn Upper Valley (SAGLUV) held its first full meeting on Friday 5 April with the villages of Upper Lambourn, Lambourn, Eastbury, East Garston and Great Shefford all represented.

The main item on the agenda was an analysis of the current situation in each village. In order to progress the dialogue we have started with Thames Water. At the meeting we had with TW at the end of last month – and in its subsequent report– TW assured us of the further efforts they were making to mitigate the immediate problems: however, they were not very specific as they were still working on possible solutions.

Following that meeting, despite the fact that groundwater levels are still very high we have seen some definite improvements:

• In Great Shefford, provided tankers are on site 24/7 and most of the difficulties of unusable loos and showers are mitigated. Unfortunately, we have seen variable attendance of tankers, and with rising groundwater levels, this is still a concern.
• In East Garston, the sewers have been jet-cleaned and, at present, are clear, with the filter unit coping with the excess flows.
• In Eastbury, the tanker operation was keeping things under control: until 5 April when manholes were overflowing again.
• In Lambourn, we were advised that TW has jet-cleaned one kilometre of downstream sewer pipes. The good news is that the sewage fountain by the Fire Station has stopped. A tanker operation was started at Goose Green which has eased the problems in that area and has also slowed down the overflowing manhole in Oxford Street. Repairs to a broken sewage pipe in Baydon Road have been escalated and are currently in progress.
• Upper Lambourn is, however, still suffering badly, which proves that groundwater flooding is still a major threat for the whole area. We now have to get TW’s focus onto Upper Lambourn as well.

Some of the above areas clearly need further investigation over the coming days to complete the picture. We are aware that the sewers are still full to capacity so these improvements are precarious, with any blockage, or heavy rain, rapidly changing the situation.

Our response to TW in the coming days will reflect these concerns, whilst acknowledging the improvements we have witnessed.

Another important issue we discussed, is how we communicate with residents to keep everyone up do date. As SAGLUV is a joint initiative by the three Parish Councils, all updates will be posted on each PC website, with “pointers” and links going onto other local communications channels.

Anyone wishing to contact SAGLUV can use the email address for the relevant PC, putting SAGLUV as the subject, or speak directly to any of the members.

• info@lambourn-pc.gov  – Vicky Rieunier, Rachel Carden or Chris Harris; and for Eastbury, Andrew Gorton.
• greatsheffordpc@hotmail.com  – Louisa Freeman, Tony Coard or Piers Storey.
• eastgarstonpc@gmail.com  – Sue Tulloch or Martyn Wright.

SAGLUV (Sewage Action Group for the Lambourn Upper Valley)

The following statement from Martyn Wright of the East Gaston Flood and Pollution Forum describes the ambitions and scope of this group:

“It’s well known that there are significant problems with sewage throughout the Lambourn Valley. The villages of Great Shefford, East Garston, Eastbury, Lambourn and Upper Lambourn, (for ease of description, the Lambourn Upper Valley) all suffer from sewer flooding by groundwater infiltration and all are in the catchment of the East Shefford Sewage Treatment Works. Thames Water treats this catchment as a discreet area with its own Groundwater Management Plan.

“Many people, for many years, have been trying to tackle Thames Water in an attempt to bring about some improvement. The Lambourn Valley Flood Forum has been making strong representation:however, as the name suggests, the LVFF’s main focus has been on flooding issues. It is now felt that a more concentrated and co-ordinated effort is needed to resolve sewage problems in our specific part of the Valley that ties in with TW’s East Shefford STW Management Plan.

“The Chairs of the Parish Councils of Great Shefford, East Garston, and Eastbury, Lambourn and Upper Lambourn, have come together to form SAGLUV, the Sewage Action Group for the Lambourn Upper Valley. Our prime objective is to secure clear sewers and a clean river; and our prime target is Thames Water.

“Martyn Wright of the EGFPF has agreed to chair SAGLUV which will also be supported by the area’s District Councillors, Clive Hooker and Howard Wollaston. We will be inviting a small number of committed individuals, with specific knowledge and experience from each parish, to join the group to gather evidence of sewage problems, in order to present the strongest possible case to TW, the Environment Agency and other relevant organisations.

“There are no quick fixes and we have to be realistic in what we can, and cannot, achieve with TW in such a precarious financial state, however, we are determined to try! We will keep you updated, and seek your feedback, as the campaign develops.”

• For more information on this (and the EGFPF), please contact martynwright345@btinternet.com.