Lesser Stink

©  2009  Rose George

Another Lesser Stink in London this week, when 20,000 tonnes of raw sewage poured into the Thames from Mogden sewage works, one of London’s big treatment plants, and known for its Mogden Pong. The discharge was legal and predictable – heavy rains in a short space of time, not enough storage for excess volume – and the usual excuses were used, according to the BBC: “Thames Water said the spill was “not an accident” and if the storm sewage was not released it would have “backed up into people’s homes”. It still surprises me that people are surprised by this. It’s how the system is designed. The system design is flawed. I am sympathetic to “the people’s basements” defence, but not sympathetic enough to fail to point out there are solutions other than killing fish and pissing off rowers and river-users. Green roofs, green verges, water restrictions. For starters.