EU watchdog to sue UK after sewers repeatedly flooded into Thames

Britain faces court action by the EU environment watchdog after sewers repeatedly flooded into the river Thames during rainstorms, according to two EU officials.

The EU executive, the European Commission, will also take the British government to the European Court of Justice over sewage spills in Whitburn, northeast England.

The case could create pressure for increased investment by Thames Water, part-owned by Australia’s Macquarie, and Northumbrian Water Group.

“This is partly about health, due to the bacteria and viruses in the waste water. But it’s also about the environment due to the high levels of nitrogen and phosphates,” said one official.

Britain is not properly applying Europe’s waste water directive, the Commission is expected to argue when it launches the case today.

Combined sewers, which carry both human waste and rainwater, have been put under pressure in northern Europe during a string of rainy summers, particularly in Britain.

Britain is not alone. France, Belgium, Ireland and Spain have similar sewage systems and problems during heavy storms, one EU official said.