THAMES Water has denied claims that the redirection of the sewage works from Wycombe Marsh are to blame for the low water levels in the River Wye.

Only last week Environment Agency Officers were forced to rescue fish in the Wye near Fryers Lane which were struggling to stay alive in the shallow waters.

The redevelopment of the site last year means that waste water produced by 85, 000 people is pumped from Wycombe Marsh to Little Marlow for treatment.

A second pipe then returns the clean water back to the River Wye. But questions have been raised as to whether the new system pumps enough of the treated water back into the river.

Alan Jarrett, of Dean Garden Rise, Wycombe Marsh, was part of an environmental protest group against the redirection of the sewage. He said: "They promised us that the water, once filtered, would all be returned to the Wye."

His wife added: "We warned them that the Wye water levels would drop as a direct result of the redevelopment."

The couple wonder whether the new system could have contributed to the decreasing water in the river.

The water giant blames the low levels on lack of rainfall this year. This is the tenth consecutive month that rainfall has been below average.

They also argue that the newly upgraded site at Little Marlow has improved the quality of the water returning to the river.

Thames Water say the redevelopment of the site means cleaner water, benefiting all the local wildlife.

Residents near the site are continuing to complain about the awful stench coming from the sewage works which now treats waste produced by 180,000 people. The major developments have failed to sort out the ongoing problem which faced objections from residents from the start.

Leila Blackburn