Pollution and our negligent authorities/water suppliers

Good afternoon all,

Not posted on here for a while as I stopped surfing more or less. However rekindling an interest in the web and catching up on articles from various writers I've not seen before I came back here to find the forum still going strong.

The reason for this post won't for most be any more than another reason to shout and rail against the powers that be who seem to have no desire to be responsible about the environment and those who like to be out about enjoying it. More that they care about shareholders than anyone else...

I picked up a flyer in my local tackle shop recently about pollution at a local level but think looking at the detail may be much more prevalent around the country. The flyer had a link to a website where the in depth detail could/can be read. I spoke to the author to ask about what I could do to help but really at this point it was to write to my MP, formerly David Cameron's constituency.

I've since done that and hope that more of you can do the same if you're in the area affected. Who knows it might not do any harm to pester your MP even if you're 200 miles away in case your water authority is doing the same in your area (I'll bet they are).

Anyway, please follow the link below and have a read. It's depressing that in this day and age that this seemingly third world practice is going on in our country. A country that until last Weds evening was very proud to wave its flag and its colours. Sadly the country that I too feel immense pride in is slipping further and further into a state not imagineable many years ago

Home | Windrush Against Sewage Pollution

On a wider note about this article, I've swum in the river almost at its confluence with the Thames for years along with my children and dogs as have lots of others too. I'll guess if the 'others' haven't seen this flyer/webpage or the Countryfile episode it was featured on they'll still be swimming happily, blissfully unaware. I'm not a scientist but would reckon quite strongly that a certain level of this pollution won't be totally filtered out by the ecosystem before it gets to my neck of the woods?

Have you got any totals of the fish killed or is it an accident waiting to happen? So to speak

Artist,

It doesn't appear that fish kills have occurred - yet.

It's more an alert of the filthy antics of the water suppliers and the governing body that should know better that is aiding and abetting them. I'd imagine the permission granted to Thames water to do this will be repeated with other water companies around the country and to different scales. The gradual breakdown of the environment which occurs can only ever spiral downwards until this practice is stopped.

You'll find that most sewage works release sewage into the water courses as they argue that during heavy rainfall there is simply nowhere else for it to go, this has happened on many a river I know and often the only time it get's highlighted is when the dreaded worst case scenario arrives and you get the (unwanted) publicity of a major kill.

It's been happening on the Thames for years and they are only now updating to the 'Super' sewer now.

I wish you luck as you will need it, Keep banging the drum though and don't overlook local fishing clubs and nature groups, also your local mps etc, being the Windrush at least it is a 'name' and not an obscure river that no one gives a hoot about, too many rivers are getting kills that hardly get any press, I think a webpage of pollution incidents would highlight how the water companies and maybe the EA are failing our rivers.

The EA should have a national list of polluted rivers and dates and what's being done to prosecute and restore them back to health, but they don't

Agree with everything you say. Appreciate the super sewer but I'm miles away from that and this discharging into the local streams under the 'heavy rainfall' caveat is proving to be a mickey take by TW. As some of the evidence shows this is being routinely done even in dry or good weather just to alleviate the levels being held in tanks for treatment at the works end.

Worse still is the government also know about it, also as the windrushwasp site documents whereby ministers said the water company only had to record the discharges, not report them! Self policing as it is is not working and our environment is paying the price.

there is a horrible problem at a little swim on the avon near me. also there are many sewers that run along the river and when flooding happens masses of ****, toilet paper and human waste pile into the river. there is also a dodgy set of pipes that spew soapy water into the river regularly. have a video somewhere... cant find it, sorry.