Residents can now easily report blocked sewers, flooding, and pollution online, and find live updates on storm overflow activity in West Oxfordshire, as Thames Water rolls out a new tool:
How to prevent, spot and report river pollutions to Thames Water
Cllr Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for Environment, said, “We are really pleased to hear that Thames Water has rolled out the new reporting tool that allows individuals to report a problem and also to view on the map, the problems with the sewage/water supply network and progress on mitigating the problem.
“This brings us one step closer to resolving the ongoing challenges faced by residents, and as a council, we are pleased that our partnership with Thames Water has allowed for some progress to be made.
“We have been working closely with Thames Water to tackle the impact of sewage on our waterways, including the issue of reporting broken sewage infrastructure. We’ve been receiving increasing reports of trouble spots throughout the district, where sewer overflows have become an unfortunate routine. We understand the impact overflowing sewage can have on residents' private properties and the wider community.”
The tool can also be used on a mobile as well as computer, so that the report can be made at the site of the problem, using GPS to provide the problem’s location; a photo can be also uploaded.
Eleven months ago, Thames Water worked with the Council and community and environmental partners in preparation for the launch of its EDM map. The company developed a live monitoring system that offers real-time information on issues of raw sewage released from storm overflow tanks into waterways. Residents can easily view reported sites on a map and check the progress.
Cllr Arciszewska added, “It is important to recognise the aspiration by Thames Water to provide more transparency regarding sewage pollution, whether it is into our waterways, fields, streets or homes.
“We strongly encourage residents to use the new tools to report any issues straight away, letting the teams at Thames Water where the sewage infrastructure is not working as it should."
David Bird, Retail Director at Thames Water, said, “We’re delighted our new online map has gone live. As a company we are committed to connecting with our 15 million customers and improving the service we provide to them. With this new tool, customers can report issues in a fast and simple manner that works for them.
“We’re also excited members of the public are now able to report pollutions they spot online. Our aim will always be to try and do the right thing for our rivers and we’re grateful to anyone who takes the initiative to tell us about a possible pollution.
"Time can sometimes be a crucial factor in turning a minor issue into a major one. We’re making it as quick and easy as possible for people to report something when they see it, because the sooner we can get to a problem the better.”
To report a problem, please visit https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/report-a-problem#/view-and-report-problems or to check the progress of reported issues in your area via the mapping tool, see https://www.thameswater.co.uk/edm-map
Contact Information
West Oxfordshire District Council Communications Team
communications@westoxon.gov.uk
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