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The state of our rivers

It’s probably helpful to remove some of the noise regarding that article. My understanding.

The government have permitted a temporary lifting of required standards, ie the use of Ferric Sulphate from the final stage of sewage treatment. This must be applied for under license and is on the provision that none of the above chemical is available due to supply issues, this scenario hasn’t actually occurred yet.
Ferric Sulphate acts as a coagulant to bind heavy metals and reduce smell and increase clarity in discharge, it also helps to reduce Phosphates.

In short it’s not good but I recon this temporary work around for a final stage treatment chemical pales into insignificance compared to the multiple failings already present, discharge of actual raw sewage, agricultural land run off and over abstraction that concentrate the soup etc. It’s bad news but I wonder what ranks higher in its real world impact, environmental or political. The head line bleeds that’s for sure.
 
Stephen Crowhurst said:
It’s probably helpful to remove some of the noise regarding that article. My understanding.

The government have permitted a temporary lifting of required standards, ie the use of Ferric Sulphate from the final stage of sewage treatment. This must be applied for under license and is on the provision that none of the above chemical is available due to supply issues, this scenario hasn’t actually occurred yet.
Ferric Sulphate acts as a coagulant to bind heavy metals and reduce smell and increase clarity in discharge, it also helps to reduce Phosphates.

In short it’s not good but I recon this temporary work around for a final stage treatment chemical pales into insignificance compared to the multiple failings already present, discharge of actual raw sewage, agricultural land run off and over abstraction that concentrate the soup etc. It’s bad news but I wonder what ranks higher in its real world impact, environmental or political. The head line bleeds that’s for sure.
Click to expand...
My faith in this government may be lower than yours Stephen.

This government is not good at producing anything concrete - see announcement of funding for social care with no actual plan of any substance.

So, if the government have gone to the effort of providing a waiver to any water company to cover potential discharges of untreated effluent it is because they are fully expecting it or it is to cover what is already going on and will provide government sanctioned approval for anything the water companies will do or are already doing.
 
Sadly Neil I don’t have much faith in this or any other government we have had. I have even less faith in our press. Without derailing things. The social care bill is a perfect example of the problem, the more you dig the more you see. Depending on how it’s reported and the preconceptions of those receiving the information you get a vastly different story. The Tories nicked the idea off Labour (Osbourne iirc) and their advocates for it just months ago are now against it, I’m sure those putting it through were against it when it was someone else’s idea. Too much self interest and self promotion in our politics. That’s really all I want to say on the subject.
 
Just to add, the temporary lifting of the need to meet effluent standards at 'some' waste water treatment sites if chemical shortages occur was decided a long time ago as part of planning for Brexit. It's not new. It's similar to allowing farmers to spread livestock waste to land which is frozen (and would not usually be allowed) during prolonged severe cold weather. That happens when we get a really cold spell. It's trying to address a problem by planning for some form of response. It is the media who just distort issues. The effluent standards relaxation comes with a lot of mitigation, but if the likes of the BBC started reporting properly then there would be no room for the hype. The BBC, The Guardian, The Times etc all do journalism (especially involving science) like Blue Peter does cooking, i.e. at a very simple level and I don't like the taste of it.
 
I suppose this is because they are playing to their audience Rob, most people don’t want details or long views they just want the gossip and it sells so they provide it.
 
It’s not over yet, this will bounce back and forth a bit yet. The government won’t take the amendments from the lords at first hit, it’s billy bluster stuff. It’s a massive bill and the bit concerned here is only a fraction of it.
Bit of pantomime, public and media backlash and some of the amendments will be accepted.
 
Says it all ....
Pooh.jpg
 
The investment in our Water Companies by Overseas Pension Funds and Companies is probably because of the Controls that exist in their own Countries.
 
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