United Utilities told get your act together as grim new pictures show sewage flooding Merseyside wood – again
A water company has been told to get its act together as a manhole keeps bursting with sewage. Spills keep happening in a woodland close to the River Fender close to storm tanks operated by United Utilities in Upton, Wirral.
The LDRS reported on a spill that happened in September after it was reported by Alan Howgate, a concerned Wirral resident. He believes the manhole has been gushing sewage for years, pointing to Google Earth imagery dating back several years.
The site was cleaned up in September after it was left covered in wet wipes and other rubbish. However the manhole has continued to spill and photos sent to the LDRS by Mr Howgate show what appears to be a sanitary pad, a tampon, and numerous wet wipes left on November 14 and 17.
He told the LDRS he still did not know what was going on to sort the issue, adding: “Looking at this, I think they just can’t be bothered to do anything about it.
“Why does the wildlife have to put up with the rubbish we are paying a fortune for to be taken away and they just dump it in the river. We are paying a lot of money. If the council took the money from our bins and just dumped it at the end of the road, what we would be like?
“It’s like they just do not care anymore. It is like they have been getting away with it.”
The LDRS understands the water company have removed over 100 tonnes of silt and blockage material from the sewer so far and in March 2026, work will begin on a new £3m storage tank in Upton which will hold one million litres of water.
As part of this programme, United Utilities will also be raising the manhole to reduce the risk of future flooding. A sonar survey is being carried out across 4km of sewers.
However the situation has been slammed by Wallasey MP Dame Angela Eagle, who told the LDRS she was “frankly horrified by the images taken.” She said she would be contacting United Utilities CEO Louise Beardmore, CEO of United Utilities to demand a full explanation after being contacted by Mr Howgate.
The MP said: “We are lucky to live in a corner of the country that boasts beautiful coastline and riverfront, and United Utilities must get its act together to protect our natural environment,” adding: “The previous government allowed over £112 million in bonuses and incentives to be awarded to water companies in the last decade, all while they continued to spill egregious amounts of pollution and waste into our water.
A spokesperson from the Environment Agency said: “Protecting the environment and waterways from pollution is a core part of what we do. After the initial spill from a surcharging manhole near Upton Storm Tanks in Merseyside we took timely action to ensure it was cleaned up promptly and our action ensured there were no signs of sewage in the watercourse.”
“In response to further reports of spillages which we received within the past week, we have launched an investigation and are currently gathering more information on site today. We will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action if necessary.”
A United Utilities spokesperson said: “Following the recent intense rainfall and Storm Claudia, our network became temporarily overloaded, which resulted in flooding from a manhole.
“Our team has carried out an extensive clean-up at the site and will continue to monitor and assess the manhole. We know there are complex hydraulic challenges in the area, and we are undertaking additional sewer surveys so we can fully understand the issues and take steps to prevent them from happening in the future.
“As part of a £3 million investment to improve water quality into the River Fender, we will be building a new storage tank capable of holding one million litres of water. We will also be replacing screens to prevent blockages and raising the manhole to help reduce the risk of future flooding.
“We understand the importance of protecting and enhancing the environment. That is why we are getting on with delivering the largest environmental improvement programme the North West has ever seen, transforming over 500km of waterways across the region.”
“Labour has wasted no time in cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas. As promised in the manifesto, we have introduced tougher laws on water companies to enact a new era of accountability.”