Angry MPs have demanded meetings and action after a dirty weekend of shame that saw Thames Water pump sewage into the Wey from five sites – with one discharge lasting a jaw-dropping 49 hours.

Last Saturday’s discharge at the Selborne treatment plant was one of the longest locally in recent history as it began at 11.15pm and finished early on Tuesday.

But it wasn’t a localised event as discharges also took place at four other stations linked to the Wey basin – with one at the Farnham Water Lane station also continuing for more than 40 hours.

The issues were not restricted to Surrey and East Hampshire as heavy rainfall brought by Storm Bert overwhelmed water infrastructure around the country.

But the scale has been called “unacceptable” with East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds and his Farnham & Bordon counterpart, Gregory Stafford, both demanding action from both Thames Water and the government.

Selborne SPS Treatment
The treatment plant in 'Selbourne' (Tindle/Paul Ferguson)

“I know an upgrade is planned for Selborne, but these severe weather events have become more frequent and we need timely action,” said Mr Hinds, adding that he wants the government to “hold water companies’ feet to the fire”.

Last weekend’s discharge from the Water Lane station in Farnham was also a whopper as it began at 8am on Sunday and finished nearly 41 hours later.

A discharge at the Shottermill station continued for nearly ten hours while shorter events took place at the Bordon and Waverley Lane sites amid a period of heavy rainfall.

Thames Water has admitted that all storm discharges are “unacceptable” and stressed it is pumping money into improving local plants and infrastructure.

Shottermill Wastewater Treatment Plant
Sewage was pumped into the Wey from the Shottermill wastewater treatment plant for ten hours. (Simon Burchell)

But the scale of the discharges has been called “unacceptable” by Farnham & Bordon MP, Greg Stafford, with the Tory insisting Thames Water and the government must take full responsibility for minimising spills.

He said: “The government must take strong action to evaluate long-term upgrades to our water infrastructure and protect our environment from extreme weather events - I will be seeking assurances from the Environment Secretary.

“Our community deserves and expects clean rivers and a water system that works. I will continue to hold Thames Water and others accountable to ensure this happens.”

Sewage releases East Hants Farnham
The sewage map of the Wey basin was not a good one early this week. (Sewagemap.co.uk)

In response, a spokesperson for Thames Water said: "We have clear and deliverable plans to upgrade 250 of our sites across the region, to increase treatment capacity and reduce the number of storm discharges including at our sites in Farnham, Selborne, Bordon and Haslemere.”

“As infrastructure ages and demand on it increases, more investment is needed across the entire sector.

“That’s why we’ve asked for increased investment in the next regulatory cycle between 2025-2030.”