Eton Wick Waterways

I recently chaired a meeting of all the stakeholders and interested parties (including land owner representatives) regarding the maintenance of the Roundmoor and Boveney streams that flow around Eton Wick. As most residents will be aware, the streams carry the effluent from the Slough Treatment works to the Thames. Mostly, this is fully treated effluent, but even so, currently, it contains high levels of nitrates and phosphates, which are nutrients for plants. In March 2024, there was a series of releases of partially treated waste water, ie sewage, leading to very serious pollution and significant local and national news coverage to draw attention to the issue.

This led to Thames Water agreeing to arrange and pay for the full maintenance of the streams last year, and an understanding that they will continue to do this for the next few years. Major improvement works are planned for the Slough Treatment Works, which are due to commence in the next year and be completed by 2030, when new legislation comes into force, including significantly reducing the acceptable levels of nutrients in effluent. Once this improvement work is complete, Thames Water will unlikely continue to fund maintenance, so alternative solutions will be needed, but that is a few years away.

At the meeting, we reviewed stream maintenance activity since last summer - in short, in June and July 2024, once the 'close season' had come to an end on 15 June, contractors undertook a thorough clearance of the streams over a six week period, which lowered water levels and alleviated the flooding residents saw in low lying areas of gardens and on the 'Asda footpath'. A further cut was completed in November, and again in February this year. These two operations removed less plant material, but did take out some roots - the intention behind doing these works was to reduce weed growth and hopefully avoid flooding this spring compared to previous years.

We will now wait and see the effect on the water levels in the next few months - work cannot officially be undertaken in the streams between 15 March and 15 June, due to this being the 'close season' to allow fish to spawn - the streams are classified as main rivers by the Environment Agency, and despite our very strong challenges to this, the fisheries department at the EA are, so far, immovable.

Thames Water have committed to two cuts a year, so after the February cut, they will cover one further cut - they, Eton Wick Waterways Group - EWWG and ourselves, along with many residents, will be monitoring the streams over the coming months, and the plan is to respond as needed, but anyway after 15 June. Please do email me if you have specific questions, cllr.m.wilson@rbwm.gov.uk.