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Beaches near the river mouth and the sewage treatment plant outfall have regularly been closed because of high levels of bacteria in the ocean.

It did say that it was looking at "possible benefits of using permits for some of the most polluting outfalls".

A new plant will instead have an oxidation ditch system made up of three independent modules and a 656-foot ocean outfall.

In these cases, a Thames spokesman explained, outfalls were discovered to no longer be connected to the sewage network or to be duplicates of other outfall permits.

She starts by easing a 1-meter-tall metal frame into the water, outfitted with equipment to track the water’s cloudiness, salinity, temperature, and pH near the power plant outfall.