STORM overflows discharged waste water including raw sewage for thousands of hours in Herefordshire in 2020, data from provider Welsh Water shows.

The combined storm overflows are designed to prevent the sewerage system from backing up, which would cause sewage flooding to buildings and streets, and could even cause toilets to overflow inside homes, by discharging into watercourses.

Welsh Water said when the sewer system is operating normally, combined sewers collect rain water that runs off gutters, drains and roads, as well as sewage.

The collected sewage and water is then taken to a wastewater treatment works, where it is cleaned, treated and returned safely to the environment through watercourses or the sea.

But during heavy storms such as Storm Dennis, which battered Herefordshire in February 2020, more water can make its way into the pipes than they can cope with, triggering combined storm overflows to discharge to release pressure.

Welsh Water said because the overflows are designed to operate during heavy rain, any sewage present is heavily diluted with rain and surface water.

In Herefordshire, the most releases were at Bodenham Moor, where a combined storm overflow discharged for more than 2,166 hours in 2020.

It was followed by Eardisley, where waste water was discharged for 1,198 hours, Moreton on Lugg, where the overflow discharged for 1,028 hours, and Hereford's Eign Waste Water Treatment Works, where an overflow discharged for 1,004 hours.

The fewest discharges were made at Hereford's, Seaton Avenue and Ross-on-Wye' Cawdor Arch overflows, which released for 15 minutes in 2020, disc 0 hours 15 minutes, while no discharges were recorded at Fownhope.

The Rivers Trust, which has called for action to be taken on combined storm overflows, said: "CSOs discharge the excess rainwater mixed with raw sewage straight in to rivers or sea, bypassing the wastewater treatment process temporarily. Therefore it is advised to avoid entering the water directly downstream of these discharge points, especially after rainfall."

Click here to view the Rivers Trust map of all combined storm overflow releases in Herefordshire.

Here are all the combined storm overflow releases recorded in Herefordshire in 2020:

  1. Bodenham Moor: 2,166 hours 30 minutes, 100 releases
  2. Eardisley: 1,198 hours 45 minutes, 71 releases
  3. Moreton on Lugg: 1,028 hours 30 minutes, 64 releases
  4. Hereford, Eign WWTW: 1,004 hours 30 minutes, 82 releases
  5. Shobdon: 660 hours 15 minutes, 114 releases
  6. Ross-on-Wye, Hope and Anchor: 593 hours 0 minutes, 97 releases
  7. New Court, Lugwardine: 528 hours 0 minutes, 50 releases
  8. Tarrington: 416 hours 30 minutes, 31 releases
  9. Ross-on-Wye, Homs Road: 365 hours 30 minutes,88 releases
  10. Leominster, Worcester Road: 358 hours 0 minutes, 66 releases
  11. Much Dewchurch: 307 hours 0 minutes, 19 releases
  12. Hereford, Greyfriars Bridge: 288 hours 15 minutes, 72 releases
  13. Bromyard: 248 hours 30 minutes, 141 releases
  14. Ross On Wye, Ross Lower Cleeve: 193 hours 30 minutes, 69 releases
  15. Ross-on-Wye, Brampton Street: 179 hours 15 minutes, 79 releases
  16. Moccas: 177 hours 30 minutes, 18 releases
  17. Hereford, St Martins Allotments: 163 hours 15 minutes, 41 releases
  18. Weobley: 162 hours 15 minutes, 64 releases
  19. Kington, Tanyard Lane: 153 hours 0 minutes, 55 releases
  20. Luston village: 132 hours 0 minutes, 13 releases
  21. Hereford, Grandstand Road: 121 hours 30 minutes, 55 releases
  22. Bromyard, Sherford Street: 120 hours 0 minutes, 81 releases
  23. Kington: 90 hours 45 minutes, 28 releases
  24. Hereford, Belmont Roundabout: 89 hours 15 minutes, 12 releases
  25. Kington, access road to WWTW: 87 hours 15 minutes, 71 releases
  26. Kington WWTW: 66 hours 30 minutes, 31 releases
  27. Hereford, Eign: 56 hours 30 minutes, 12 releases
  28. Barton Road Hereford: 50 hours 15 minutes, 5 releases
  29. Bromyard, Cruxwell Street: 47 hours 0 minutes, 112 releases
  30. Bodenham Millcroft: 33 hours 0 minutes, 5 releases
  31. Hereford, Braemar Gardens: 31 hours 45 minutes, 12 releases
  32. Hereford, Parson Walk: 24 hours 0 minutes, 11 releases
  33. Ross on Wye, Weir End: 20 hours 30 minutes, 9 releases
  34. Kington, Bridge Street: 16 hours 15 minutes, 5 releases
  35. Hereford, Three Elms Road: 5 hours 0 minutes, 14 releases
  36. Hereford, Miss Chaves: 4 hours 30 minutes, 18 releases
  37. Hereford, Three Elms Road: 3 hours 45 minutes, 3 releases
  38. Hereford, Whitecross Road: 2 hours 0 minutes, 4 releases
  39. Ross-on-Wye, Station Street: 0 hours 30 minutes, 2 releases
  40. Hereford, Seaton Avenue: 0 hours 15 minutes, 1 releases
  41. Ross-on-Wye, Cawdor Arch: 0 hours 15 minutes, 1 releases
  42. Fownhope: 0 hours 0 minutes, 0 releases

Data from: https://www.dwrcymru.com/en/our-services/wastewater/combined-storm-overflows/hereford