A river in Devizes has been ranked as the fourth most polluted in the whole of Wiltshire.

You might not consider what lies in the rivers flowing through Wiltshire, and at this time of year many are enjoying them by going for a swim- but the truth is that people are more likely to have swum in toxic water than they have healthy water according to fresh data.

A map by the Rivers Trust marks out the rivers which have been impacted by ‘sewer storms’, and shows that Horton Farm Pumping Station, near Devizes is one of the worst affected in the county.

All of the other three are in Salisbury.

In 2021, this sewer storm overflow spilled 104 times for a total of 2232 hours, discharging into the Trib Of Etchilhampton Water.

Storm overflows are designed to act as relief valves when the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed, for example during heavy downpours when a lot of rainwater runs into drains and the sewerage system in a short space of time.

The water company said that the reason why Horton Farm Pumping Station may have had such a high spill count in 2021 was due to infiltration.

Wiltshire Council did not wish to comment on the situation when approached by this newspaper.

Water companies then use storm overflows to release extra rainwater and wastewater into rivers or seas.

A total of 4,000 sewage spills were also counted in rivers in the whole of the Wiltshire area that year according to the River Trust.

Michelle Walker, Tecnhical Director at The Rivers Trust said: “We developed this map because we want people to be as informed as possible about the state of their rivers.

“It means the public can visualise where almost half a million sewage discharges across England and Wales are actually happening, and it helps them to make wise choices about where and when to spend time in and around the water.

“The recent increased public and political awareness of sewage pollution shows how powerful this knowledge sharing really is.”

Christine Colvin, Director for Communications and Partnerships at The Rivers Trust said: “This map is an invaluable tool for anyone interested in river health, anyone who wants to mobilise local action to stop the routine pollution of our precious rivers.”

The River Trust enables different types of action where people can demand for safe water, as well as a map of sewage discharge sites.