Steve Backshall calls for end to 'toxic' River Thames pollution

Television presenter Steve Backshall has called for action over pollution in the River Thames and said water samples he gathered are 'toxic'.

In a video posted across social media, the naturalist, who lives alongside the Thames near Cookham, said he had taken water samples downstream of the Little Marlow sewage work following the last pollution event by Thames Water.

Investigation of the samples, he said, had found pollutants at levels ‘off the scale’ which could lead to the ‘death of the entire ecosystem’.

Discussing the survey results, Mr Backshall said: “The Thames is toxic.”

He added: “Don’t even think about wild swimming here - people who are canoeing or rowing or anything like that: treat the river as if it’s a biohazard.

“I wouldn’t even allow your dog into the river right now, it could seriously be dangerous to them.

“If I was to discharge my sewage system right here I could be arrested for it, yet in one single outage upstream from here (at Little Marlow) Thames Water had 16 hours of it going into the river.”

A study of the samples by Bangor University had shown bacteria present at ‘thousands of times’ the levels seen in humans, said Mr Backshall.

He said harmful viruses, including Norovirus and Enterovirus, were all found as well as E.Coli bacteria.

Mr Backshall added pollutants had been found in such dangerous amounts that a laboratory worker had refused to open them. 

A spokesperson for Thames Water said: “Taking action to improve the health of rivers is a key focus for us, and we are engaging with Steve alongside other stakeholders to address their concerns.

“There are clear guidelines on how samples should be taken in order to give an accurate picture of the quality of the water, and we would be keen to understand more about the approach taken in this instance.

“An upgrade is planned for Little Marlow Sewage Treatment Works to improve its ability to treat the volumes of incoming sewage, reducing the need for untreated discharges in wet weather.”

Bangor University has been approached for comment on its analysis.

Samples processed by @BangorUni wastewater research, breakdown on insta @christiandunn @teresamayMP @joymorrissey @guardian @Feargal_Sharkey @theriverstrust @RiverActionUK @bucksfreepress @MaidenheadAds pic.twitter.com/y7EcfJeixQ

— Steve Backshall (@SteveBackshall) April 15, 2024