PROTESTERS from Extinction Rebellion Midlands gathered outside Severn Trent Water’s HQ on Monday to make their point against the company’s sewage dumping record.
Members took to the streets bringing props including a sewage pipe and poo emojis.
Two of those demonstrating wore ‘corp rat’ costumes, which they claim symbolised a link between corporate greed and environmental destruction.
This protest was part of extinction rebellion’s ‘Dirty Water’ campaign, which aims to raise awareness about waterway pollution.
The action comes following new data which showed the River Severn was the most polluted river in the UK.
In 2021, Severn Trent Water pumped waste into the river on 2,600 separate occasions, for a total of 28,741 hours.
Extinction Rebellion claims despite this, Severn Trent water has paid an average of £223million to its shareholders a year since 2010.
Extinction Rebellion Midlands spokesperson Jamie Russell said: “Severn Trent Water is swimming in cash, while its customers are left swimming in rubbish.
“The decision to treat our rivers like toilets is a disaster for public health, wildlife, and the environment. In rivers and coastal regions across the UK, we’re seeing a corporate death machine at work.
“It doesn’t care about the destruction it leaves in its wake, just as long as it generates profits for shareholders.”
Extinction Rebellion is an international, politically non-partisan movement using non-violent action and civil disobedience which aims to persuade governments to act on the Climate and Ecological Emergency.
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “Whilst we fully respect the right to peacefully protest, the claims made do not reflect the performance, progress or investment being made by the business to protect our region’s rivers.
“Since privatisation Severn Trent has invested £25billion in infrastructure and is investing £100million each year to improve rivers.
“We’re proud to be sector leaders including hitting 100 per cent of environmental targets and being recognised with the highest four star status from the Environment Agency.
“Other sectors are responsible for 85 per cent of reasons for watercourses not achieving good ecological status across our region, with 16 per cent within the control of Severn Trent and we’ve committed that this will be down to zero by 2030.”
