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Good News from the EA

I think it would be difficult to argue with this news. The Wandle for one has most definitely improved, with the river reports on this very website evidence of that.
So yes, shout about it, but don't, the cynic would argue, omit those rivers which require attention as a point to not let your guard down as it were.
I have some respect for the EA Officers as they don't get paid a great deal of money for what they do, as such they are grateful for the help that anglers might afford them, rather than the criticism they often get.

Damian
 
Wholly agree, Damian. Some in their penpushing EA bureaucrats anti-dom forget what a lean, mean, proactive, private alternative to the EA would be - a cherrypicking crew that makes the very best of the waters of interest and value to them, whilst leaving the unwanted rest to become an ill-mended drain.
 
Here too!

Rivers the healthiest in a generation due to stricter pollution ...‎

I find it a bit ironic to read this

"'Most-improved' rivers

The River Wandle, south-west London"

considering what happened four years ago

Toxic spill in river kills fish

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Get your facts straight, mate - that wipe-out was courtesy of mean, lean, Aussie-owned Thames Water. Nowt to do with the EA.
 
The fact is I wasn't pointing the finger at EA or even Thames Water, just remind us what was in the very same BBC news four years ago.

Maybe the best way to get the "most improved" accolade is to bleach the river clean?
 
Paul Boote said:
Get your facts straight, mate - that wipe-out was courtesy of mean, lean, Aussie-owned Thames Water. Nowt to do with the EA.
Click to expand...

Paul,I think you have got the wrong end of the stick,what Stephen is illustrating is the improvement in water quality of the River Wandle over the last 4 years since the pollution incident.

I don't think he was criticising the EA at all,in fact if you look at the water quality of the river now it is quite good PR for the EA.
 
Whether it's the Thames Water PR machine telling girls to shave their legs in a more eco-friendly fashion or the EA's telling us that they're doing a great job with our rivers and lakes, it's still spin - from a private outfit that refuses to replace pipes because doing so will dent profits, or a public one terrified that a right wing, anti-Statist Government will flog it off to their old-school mates.
 
Isn't the cleaning up of UK rivers an EU directive (not UK) and if we don't, we will be prosecuted? It seems that the EA/Government are being 'forced' to clean up **** rivers and is not an EA/UK initiative as it should be! As before in past years...the EA/UK Gov can always move the goalposts wider apart to achieve the required legislation, to make things look good on paper and try to avoid prosecution.
Like it or not, UK rivers are treated by the UK government as legal 'open sewers' still.
No doubt the Wandle is cleaner since the last killer slug that killed part of it off, probably because it is now in the public eye and watched more closely, unlike some others.
 
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Ray Walton said:
Isn't the cleaning up of UK rivers an EU directive (not UK) and if we don't, we will be prosecuted? It seems that the EA/Government are being 'forced' to clean up **** rivers and is not an EA/UK initiative as it should be! As before in past years...the EA/UK Gov can always move the goalposts wider apart to achieve the required legislation, to make things look good on paper and try to avoid prosecution.
Like it or not, UK rivers are treated by the UK government as legal 'open sewers' still.
No doubt the Wandle is cleaner since the last killer slug that killed part of it off, probably because it is now in the public eye and watched more closely, unlike some others.
Click to expand...

You are right Ray,it is an EU directive which was implemented in 2003.

See here........http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Framework_Directive

It basically commits member states to improving water quality,not sure if they can prosecute though,I thought the EA were responsible for identifying and prosecuting the polluters.

Either way it's got to be a positive thing that the EU are taking proactive steps to improve our water quality.
 
That Directive is the latest in a long line related to water quality out of Europe. I remember one from the mid 90's that implemented the upgrading of sewage works for all towns over a certain population. They started big and worked their way down.

Things will never be ideal but some headway has been made in the last 20 years.
 
Any one a little hacked off at the EA claiming to have improved rivers due to the decline of Kiddiminsters carpet industry (which is what improved the River Stour) and other rivers that no longer suffer from industrial polution because Thatcher and Blair destroyed those industries may enjoy an excellent article on the issue from Charles Clover in today's Sunday Times.

He points out that the EA's response to the WFD was timid to say the least and having taken part in the consultations at the time, timid is an apt description, scared to death of the potential costs of implementing it in any serious way would be my description. However legal action from the AT and others have forced the issue and at least the targets go some way to putting pressure on DeFRA the Water Companies et. al. The cost issue will be the big one. Irrespective of who actually improves our rivers it is going to cost money. Higher food prices, higher water costs, higher taxes or whatever. None of which will be popular.
The EA itself budget, as shown here
budget.jpg

is already being cut by up to 20% across the board. The only real way of them funding the Environmental Protection and Water Resources part of their responsibility in order to reach the WFD targets would be to divert money from the biggest part of the budget, the Flood and coastal management. Not sure how popular that would be, basically letting the sea reclaim large parts of East Anglia....

The Environmental Stewardship scheme, which subsidises the vast majority of farmers hasn't delivered for river quality during its first round. The second round of this starts in 2012 hopefully the vast amounts of taxpayers money paid out to farmers (to basically subsidised supermarket food prices) could be far better targeted at improving rivers. We will have to wait and see. But somehow I can't see this or any other government being willing to see higher food prices or to challenge the virtual monopoly the supermarkets have now over our farmers.
 
And in addition to the above we have these two hardcore ideologues - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14782205 - to face down or lose what remains of our Green and Pleasant Land forever. They - Piggy and Fatty - are being attacked by such Far Left Loonies as the National Trust, the Council For Rural England and a huge number of their own Tory Party (besides the Usual Suspect, Traditional, bearded and be-sandalled, not one of Us - not to mention otter-loving - Left Wing Loons), but will they back off...? With friends like these, who needs etc...
 
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Somewhat ironic reading this a little over a fortnight later :confused:

David Walliams given River Thames sewage warning

Comedian David Walliams has been advised not to swim through the London section of the River Thames due to the amount of sewage dumped in it recently.

He is swimming along the river for the Big Splash Challenge for Sport Relief and is due to arrive in the capital in the next few days.

However, Thames Water said about 500,000 cubic metres of raw sewage had entered the river since Monday.

Sport Relief said Walliams still intended to swim the London section.

The Little Britain star Walliams has fallen behind schedule in his charity eight-day swim along the Thames.

He began in Gloucestershire on 5 September but suffered a high temperature and struggled to keep up his pace.

'Hugely admirable'
Despite this, the 40-year-old managed to rescue a dog as he swam between Maidenhead and Windsor on Saturday.

Vinny, a one-year-old Labrador, was struggling to get out of the water due to a bad hip.

Walliams said: "I heard a splash and looked over to be met with the face of a sweet Labrador.

"I thought he was fine, but he started to really struggle when he was getting out so I swam over and helped his owner get him out."


To add to the comedian's problems, heavy rain in the London area this week has seen a large increase in the amount of effluent being dumped in the river.

About 39 million tonnes of sewage is discharged into the river each year, due to a lack of capacity in the capital's Victorian sewerage network.

Tidal conditions mean it could take as long as a month for all of the waste to reach the sea.

Richard Aylard, of Thames Water, said: "We've been in touch with David Walliams' team and he'll have to make his own decisions.

"We're not public health experts but I wouldn't recommend swimming in it.

"That said, David is doing a hugely admirable thing and we wish him all the best."

A Sport Relief spokesman said: "David underwent extensive physical assessments to prepare him for this challenge, and received a number of inoculations to protect him from disease carried in the Thames.

"A team of medics are with him throughout the swim and are constantly monitoring his health.

"David's safety has been paramount throughout the course of his swim."
 
But what do you with the lower Thames in London? Thames Water, for once, is trying to build a multi-million £ mega-sewer to do away with the recurring run-off and sewage release problem, only to find itself the target of a campaign by some rather well-off, media-savvy NIMBYs whom I keep seeing on London Tonight News whenever I'm in the house of somebody at that time who has a television...

And as for "slashing Red Tape" to free-up planning and allow Britain to "Go For Growth" (Urr. Nasty growth you have there, you ought to see a doctor...) - http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/09/ministers-hypocrisy-over-planning-regulations
 
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