The day after newspapers reported untreated sewage killing tens of thousands of fish on the Thames (see EA Press Release below), Ofwat (Office of Water Services) proudly announced it was intending to raise water prices by just 13% over the next five years. Watervoice, the Ofwat funded consumer group, called the increase “far better than we had expected… or feared.”
“These congratulatory notes show how out of touch Ofwat and Watervoice are, when the water industry is consistently a top polluter in the country,” says Paul Knight, Executive Director of the Salmon & Trout Association.
“Ofwat’s water and sewerage charge increases are billions less than the amount needed by water companies to simply maintain existing services to provide safe and hygienic water delivery and sewage disposal, and to prevent them from poisoning our aquatic ecosystems. If the water companies do not get the capital they need granted to them by Ofwat, then they can’t undertake the necessary projects to get the systems working properly.”
“Ofwat has unrealistically justified that much of the required work can be carried out by the companies improving their efficiency.”
“Throughout the country small and large rivers receive sewage through combined sewage and storm water overflows. Despite vocal opposition, nothing gets done. For example, just yesterday, the Environment Agency reported trout, bullheads and eels were among the fish killed due to a sewage-related pollutant in a tributary of the River Loughor in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire.”
It could take four years for the Thames to recover from last week’s toxic spill – providing there isn’t another extreme sewage overflow. Unless the interceptor tunnel is built, untreated sewage and urban runoff will still enter the Thames 50-60 times a year.
“Unless there is serious commitment in this country to protect our waterways from inefficiently treated sewage, excessive water abstraction, diffuse pollution and urban run-off, the very issues the rise in prices was destined in part to tackle, then the aquatic environment will continue to suffer.”
“More dead fish will be the visible result of decaying sewerage systems and the supply of unrealistically priced water services, and the blame will be put firmly at the door of those who seem to be interested only in the price of water to consumers, but little in the state of our rivers and lakes, or the wildlife dependent on their ecosystems,” Paul Knight concludes.
S&TA Note
The Salmon & Trout Association (S&TA) is the senior game angling organization in the United Kingdom. For 100 years, the S&TA has had successful input to every major piece of fisheries related legislation.
We represent 15,000 individual members and 85,000 club members, and have 52 branches spread across the UK. Environmental issues are at the core of our work.
S&TA represents fisheries interests on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Stakeholders’ Group on the current round of consultations over water price increases in the next five years.
Currently, there are 120 days in the year (33% of the time) where participating in watersports on the tidal Thames is not advised due to risk of illness because of sewage and related debris.
EA Storm sewage kills thousands of London’s fish
EA Press Release
Last Tuesday Heavy storms caused the death of thousands of fish when more than 600,000 tonnes of untreated sewage and urban run-off (storm sewage) was forced into the River Thames.
The sudden down pour meant that London’s drainage network could not cope and was overloaded. The storm sewage – equivalent in weight to 13 Titanics – was a combination of effluent, faecal matter, paper and other unsavoury items mixed with gallons of water which had to overflow into the river to prevent it flooding London.
The storm sewage has resulted in vital oxygen reserves being used up, causing the fishkill -currently visible between Kew, Brentford and Isleworth. Fish are one of the first signs of good water quality. With thousands of adult fish, including roach and bream, floating dead in the river there is a clear concern of the environmental impact and potential health implications.
London’s network cannot properly even cope with moderate rainfall and regularly sees these discharges occurring, on average 50-60 times a year. Some mitigation procedures – such as Thames Water launching its oxygenating vessels – prevent fishkills, however they do not solve the ongoing problem. This incident is much larger and to make matters worse, the vessel cannot navigate to the location.
The Environment Agency has instructed Thames Water to add hydrogen peroxide to improve the water quality and prevent the loss of further fish stock. The operation may take days to manage as the tidal effect means the storm sewage will move up and down with the current.
Ofwat’s draft determinations (see above – Ed) clearly illustrates the seriousness of this issue. There is good reason to worry about the state of England’s sewers and Ofwat need to find a solution to storm discharges.
Stormier weather from climate change and the pressures from new developments all put strains on the sewage system. We need the water industry to take a much longer-term view of the needs of our sewer systems.
