£500k river restoration fund isn't just for Tameside

The Environment Agency has clarified where money it secured from United Utilities will be spent, and it isn't all destined for Tameside.

In June 2026, the Environment Agency (EA) announced that it had secured £517,000 from United Utilities for "sewage discharge breaches" into the River Tame. At the time, its press release announcing the news stated that this money would go to Mersey Rivers Trust and be used "to improve the environmental health of rivers in the region."

While that is still the case, the EA press release was updated on July 20th, 2026, clarifying that the money will be used across the "Tame catchment" area rather than just in Tameside itself, as originally stated. This expands the area of funding from the boundaries of Tameside to a much broader area covering the source of the River Tame on Denshaw Moor all the way to the point it joins the River Goyt to form the River Mersey.

Regardless of where exactly the money gets spent, it will be used to improve river habitats and help the fish and other wildlife that live in and around them. It will also be used to monitor the quality of the water, tackle invasive plants, remove or improve weirs, and develop future projects in the hope of securing further funding.

The Environment Agency secured the £517,000 from United Utilities after "three permit breaches led to a substantial amount of sewage being discharged into the River Tame". The breaches occurred at the Ashton-under-Lyne Wastewater Treatment Works after heavy rainfall and a mechanical failure in the final settlement tank that has since been repaired.