CONCERNS have been raised Worcestershire's rivers could see partially treated sewage enter the system due to an ongoing problem in the chemical supply chain.

But Severn Trent Water (STW) has stressed it is currently not being affected by the national shortage and has "no plans" to apply to contaminate water.

Last month the Environment Agency told water firms they can temporarily reduce the amount of chemicals used for the treatment of waste water, after problems in the chemical supply chain caused by the lorry driver shortage.

Similar to the fuel crisis Water UK said there was no shortage of the chemicals, just the distribution of them.

The Environment Agency issued a regulatory statement meaning water companies wouldn't be fined using the Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) if they had written permission from the agency.

This time-limited RPS – which expires on December 31 – can only be used by water and sewerage companies unable to comply with permit conditions because they are experiencing unavoidable delays in the delivery of chemicals to treat wastewater.

Over the weekend a tweet went viral about Southern Water pumping water, that had not been fully treated, into the sea, with fears a similar situation could develop in Worcestershire including the River Avon and The River Severn.

Glyn Marshall, of the Severn Fisheries Group which represents 30,000 anglers, told the BBC he wanted the authorities to "get off their backsides" and not sit in Whitehall thinking the issue was going to go away.

And it has been reported Fish Legal is now looking to take legal action against the Environment Agency over its recent decision to relax the rules.

A STW spokesman said: “We have not been impacted by a chemical shortage at Severn Trent and have no need or intention to apply to the Environment Agency to use the Regulatory Position Statement.”

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously.

"Water companies have a legal duty to avoid pollution and must act quickly to reduce any damage that happens as a result of their activities. The regulations are clear and are enforced robustly.

“In addition to regulating the activities of water companies at wastewater treatment works, we are working with stakeholders and partners including in the agriculture sector, which is also responsible for phosphate entering rivers."

The Environment Agency said no water company has yet made use of the RPS, and the most sensitive and high-risk watercourses will not be affected.

And the agency added it is also working with water companies and regulators to solve the distribution issues including extending delivery hours to allow deliveries to be made outside of standard normal operating times and looking at ways of making logistics more efficient, requiring fewer drivers.