Thames Water stayed away from the council's Waterways Day in Witney, and the council leader will write to the company. What the four panels covered.

Thames Water did not turn up to West Oxfordshire District Council’s Waterways Day at the Corn Exchange in Witney on Friday 9 October, and the council’s leader, Councillor Andy Graham, says he will write to the company about it. The Environment Agency, Oxfordshire County Council and local river and flood groups all took part in the day of talks and panel discussions on pollution, flooding and the health of the district’s rivers.

The council described its disappointment in a news release sent to Witney News on 14 October. Councillor Graham said:

“It was a positive day, bringing residents and organisations together for important conversations about our waterways. However, it was disappointing that Thames Water did not attend, and I intend to write to them. It is vital that they engage with our communities, take part in these types of discussions and be held accountable for their role in protecting our rivers.”

The council has not said whether Thames Water was invited to speak on a particular panel or why it did not come.

Two men smiling in front of a Witney Flood Group display board of flood photographs, a river gauge sensor and a tall depth gauge marker
Councillor Alistair Wray with Witney Flood Group at the group's display. Photo: supplied by West Oxfordshire District Council

What the four sessions covered

The council says the four talks and panels were well attended, with residents asking questions and sharing their own experiences. Its Waterways Day page sets out who spoke on each:

  • Development, infrastructure and water quality: the Environment Agency and the council’s own planning team, on how building and infrastructure affect the health of local waterways.
  • Water pollution and accountability: the Environment Agency, Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP) and Earthwatch, on water pollution and holding those responsible to account.
  • Flood risks and mitigation: Oxfordshire County Council, Witney Flood Group and Flooded People, on flood risk, its impact on communities and ways to reduce it.
  • Catchment partnerships, agriculture and nature recovery: Cotswold Rivers Trust and the Windrush Catchment Partnership, the Evenlode Catchment Partnership, North East Cotswold Farmers Cluster and the Nature Recovery Network, on how working across whole river catchments, including with farmers, can support healthier rivers.

The accountability panel is where a water company would most obviously have had questions to answer. WASP’s own stand at the event set out its aim to stop raw and partially treated sewage being released into the Windrush and other rivers.

Visitors talking at the Windrush Against Sewage Pollution stand, in front of a WASP in Action banner; one man wears a T-shirt reading Stop this dirty business, sign the petition
Visitors at the Windrush Against Sewage Pollution stand. Photo: supplied by West Oxfordshire District Council
Joe Cuthbertson of the Environment Agency speaking into a microphone at the lectern, with a slide reading Water pollution and accountability behind him
Joe Cuthbertson of the Environment Agency speaks in the water pollution and accountability session. Photo: supplied by West Oxfordshire District Council
Ash Smith of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution speaking at a lectern marked Waterways Day, Friday 9 October 2026, Corn Exchange, Witney, in front of a projected photograph of a street
Ash Smith of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution speaks at the Corn Exchange. Photo: supplied by West Oxfordshire District Council
Dr Laura Bannatyne of Earthwatch speaking at the Waterways Day lectern, with earthwatch.org.uk on the screen behind her
Dr Laura Bannatyne of Earthwatch speaks on the accountability panel. Photo: supplied by West Oxfordshire District Council

“People want to have a say”

Councillor Alistair Wray, the council’s Executive Member for Environment, said:

“Waterways Day is about bringing our community together around something that matters deeply to us all. Our rivers and streams are an important part of life in West Oxfordshire, and people want to understand the challenges we’re facing locally, and have a say in their future.

“It was encouraging to see so many residents joining these conversations, alongside experts and local organisations. Thank you to everyone who took part, including the Environment Agency for their valuable contributions. By sharing knowledge, listening to concerns and working together, we can help shape a healthier future for our waterways.”

The council says it will keep bringing communities and partner organisations together “to keep the health of West Oxfordshire’s waterways firmly on the agenda”. Waterways Day is an annual event.

Visitors talking beside a Witney Flood Group banner and a large flood depth gauge marker
Visitors at the Witney Flood Group stand. Photo: supplied by West Oxfordshire District Council
A woman in a high-visibility vest talks to two visitors in front of display boards of maps and wildlife photographs
A stallholder talks visitors through a display of maps and wildlife photographs. Photo: supplied by West Oxfordshire District Council

What it means for you

  • Missed it? The council says the presentation slides from the day will be posted on its Waterways Day page, with links to each organisation that took part. They were not up when we checked on 14 October; we will add the link when they are.
  • Want to get involved? The groups on the panels, from Witney Flood Group to WASP and the Windrush and Evenlode catchment partnerships, will be linked from the same page so residents can find out about their work.
  • Thames Water’s answer: if the company replies to the council leader’s letter, we will report what it says.

Witney’s MP, Charlie Maynard, won the Rivers and Seas Award last month; our report also covers how often the district’s storm overflows spilled in 2025.