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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Sandra Laville Environment correspondent

River pollution becomes key issue in English local elections

Pollution on the Jubilee River in April 2022 adjacent to Slough Sewage Treatment Works managed by Thames Water.
Pollution on the Jubilee River in April 2022 adjacent to Slough Sewage Treatment Works managed by Thames Water. Photograph: Maureen McLean/Alamy

River pollution has become a leading issue on doorsteps during the countdown to the local elections on Thursday.

Thousands of seats are being contested across England, the largest number since 2019 when the Conservatives lost control of several councils. These are the first local elections since the Guardian revealed the hidden scandal of the scale of raw sewage pollution in rivers, pushing the issue into the mainstream political debate.

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