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Grauniad Article - state of our rivers

It's a very good article, about two people who are genuinely making a difference by exposing the truth. Citizen science is alive and well.

Mark Swaby very kindly put me in touch with Ashley Smith last year, and he was able to direct me to a contact who helped me access sewage discharge data via FIR on my local Bollin. Eyewatering tbh.
 
Its a good read rich, and the combined skills has given them a platform to do this kind of investigation, a lot of anglers would have seen, and still do see the destruction of our waterways, but not known how to report it ,other than to agencies who already know whats going on and do nothing about it,,,
Regards
 
They are two very special people doing work not just for the Windrush but for others that are concerned with the damage water companies are doing to our environment dumping raw sewage rather than treating it. I was concerned with the filth coming out of Maple Lodge STW so contacted them a couple of years ago. Peter coached me ask the right questions to Thames Water and the EA . Without them the 6 years of figures Thames sent me would have been worthless. Thames tried to bamboozle me with figures, they really try to screw the data they send you, not putting amounts and files with the wrong titles etc. Peter spotted all the issues and advised me how to get the correct data. Sure enough they were badly fiddling their dumping of raw sewage figures.
 
It seems my worst fears were justified. I just can’t understand How the people that do this to our rivers sleep at night.
 
Michael Weir said:
This was in the Guardian also.
www.theguardian.com

Source of River Thames dries out ‘for first time’ during drought

Head of the Thames is now more than 5 miles downstream as forecasters warn of further high temperatures to come
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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Im not defending the water industry; but that article is somewhat disingenuous. I live a couple of miles from the source of the Thames and it dries up virtually every summer.

Fergal Sharkey was on tv again today putting the boot in. FairPlay to the BBC, they then interviewed a Southern Water representative and got her to admit that they are failing on most counts. She had no defence for their recent application for a ‘drought order’ to further restrict the flow of the Test.

There are plenty of concerned people who have been fighting for our rivers for decades. It seems that finally the powers that be might be starting to listen……
 
'The powers that be...'

I think it's worth reminding ourselves that when Liz Truss was Secretary of State for Defra, this was when dept experienced the most severe funding cuts it has ever had. 50% in real terms at the time. She did nothing to oppose the treasury and waived everything through like a cheerleader. This is in part why the EA are in such a shambolic state.

She did very little to protect the environment whilst in post and spent most of her time trying to flog factory farmed pork and chicken (River Wye?) to the Chinese. And making bizarre speeches about cheese. She is generally regarded in the environmental sector as being the worst Defra minister that anyone can recall.

It seems that her main policy thrusts in her leadership campaign are about further cutting public spending and further deregulation, including for the farming sector.
 
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Joe Winstanley said:
'The powers that be...'

I think it's worth reminding ourselves that when Liz Truss was Secretary of State for Defra, this was when dept experienced the most severe funding cuts it has ever had. 50% in real terms at the time. She did nothing to oppose the treasury and waived everything through like a cheerleader. This is in part why the EA are in such a shambolic state.

She did very little to protect the environment whilst in post and spent most of her time trying to flog factory farmed pork and chicken (River Wye?) to the Chinese. And making bizarre speeches about cheese. She is generally regarded in the environmental sector as being the worst Defra minister that anyone can recall.

It seems that her main policy thrusts in her leadership campaign are about further cutting public spending and further deregulation, including for the farming sector.
Click to expand...
Without getting too ‘ political’ , I can’t help but wonder if is time our water companies were nationalised. Whichever way you look at it they are a disgrace. Never mind ruining a lot of our fishing they are simply endangering anybody who enters the river systems which appear to be polluted from the source to the sea. Until the members of these companies directors are either personally fined millions or are imprisoned nothing tangible will happen in my opinion.
G.T.
 
Graham Tremble said:
Without getting too ‘ political’ , I can’t help but wonder if is time our water companies were nationalised. Whichever way you look at it they are a disgrace. Never mind ruining a lot of our fishing they are simply endangering anybody who enters the river systems which appear to be polluted from the source to the sea. Until the members of these companies directors are either personally fined millions or are imprisoned nothing tangible will happen in my opinion.
G.T.
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Many organisations should be renationalised in my opinion.
 
Graham Tremble said:
Without getting too ‘ political’ , I can’t help but wonder if is time our water companies were nationalised. Whichever way you look at it they are a disgrace. Never mind ruining a lot of our fishing they are simply endangering anybody who enters the river systems which appear to be polluted from the source to the sea. Until the members of these companies directors are either personally fined millions or are imprisoned nothing tangible will happen in my opinion.
G.T.
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It wouldn't matter, Graham, it would still be the same people there who for the large part really couldn't care less.
I see Operators arrive at work, sit in their vehicles for 3 hours to record them being there and then bugger off, some of them park outside the gate!
Intermediate Bulk Containers filled with water located around FE sampling points with Operators tipped off as to when they will be sampled by designated monitor so they can momentarily discharge clean water whilst being monitored.
Leaving serious issues until such times as Operators are on call out so they can earn a call out charge and an increased rate of pay.
And that is just the tip.
Some water companies are so much better run than others however.
 
Excellent article but in the current economic environment and with the formor Secretary of State for Defra, and most likely our next PM, promising immediate taxcuts if she does get in,where is the money going to come from to finance the oversight and enforcement that has been so clearly lacking in recent years? The truth is that whatever government we may get in the future, it will continue to pay lip service to our environmental issues while lacking the ability to fund the financial requirements to take action and actually start to clean up the polluted sewers that are many of our rivers these days.


Dave
 
David Clewer said:
Excellent article but in the current economic environment and with the formor Secretary of State for Defra, and most likely our next PM, promising immediate taxcuts if she does get in,where is the money going to come from to finance the oversight and enforcement that has been so clearly lacking in recent years? The truth is that whatever government we may get in the future, it will continue to pay lip service to our environmental issues while lacking the ability to fund the financial requirements to take action and actually start to clean up the polluted sewers that are many of our rivers these days.


Dave
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This isn’t just ‘environmental issues’ though, it’s now public safety. I do get your point though and wonder the same things myself….
 
For those that haven't seen this one : funny, but sadly very true .....
water.jpg
 
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