Bit of a worry for those that like the rivers. Let alone the environment in general.
I remember in September reading that due to Brexit we had a supply chain issue of Treatment chemicals.
And that the Govt was allowing private companies to dump raw sewage into our waterways. But I presumed it was a desperation based short term measure.

However they have just voted to keep it going.

Really going backwards

In reply to Post #1
Definitely worrying.

I saw how the river irwell was damaged for a very long time due to sewage / chemicals leaked.

In reply to Post #1
As with all privatised Utility Companies, share holder dividends always come first – it stinks (Literally!) Dumping untreated sewage into the environment will be the cheapest option I presume.

It's only on times of extremely high flow when the treatment facilities are overloaded with flood waters coming in to the site. Age old question of do you let it out in to the tigers to dilute or let it back up and flood roads and properties?? I'm sure a majority would rather they didn't have effluent around their feet.

As nasty as it is going in to the river there is a logic behind it. There is a big thing about it in the upcoming legislation that water company regulators are putting in to place for the next 5-6yrs that directs investment.

This is bad news indeed..

Locally to me is a massive food plant,back along I noticed lots of foam in the stream coming down the valley which intersects a lovely trout stream,it stank and looked dreadful I think it mightve been waste whey,because I know that smell..

It reminds me of late 70s,early 80s..when I was a bit rebellious and refused to wear a helmet,anyway one night on my Honda CB I followed a massive tanker all loaded up with waste foaming whey ,I followed it lights off all down back lanes til near Beeny pull in high up on the cliffs,then a long pipe was used to pump it straight in the Atlantic..

Thing was all the holiday makers would then after be taking pics of the storm foam,...it was waste from that food plant..

I remember being down pub,and told Adam ,stfup,about what you seen..

Don't buy Cathedral city cheese..!!

It's appalling. And it has been getting worse for the last decade. It's not just recently, or after heavy rain, or Brexit (though that will add a layer of politics that will make its harder to get everyone to agree on the problem and the solution).

Sounds crazy, but a good source of information on this is to follow Feargal Sharkey on Twitter and look at what he has posted - https://twitter.com/Feargal_Sharkey

The £90m fine for Southern Water was for dumping raw sewage between 2010 and 2015 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-57777935

I live near the River Wey (Surrey). Once I knew what to look for I could see that it has sewage dumped into it as tributaries have sewage fungus in them.
On holiday in Dorset this summer I noticed that a tiny tributary of the River Frome in Maiden Newton seemed almost dead with sewage fungus on what should have been green weed. Sure enough, a few hundred yards upstream was a "Wessex Water Water Treatment Plant"

This map shows that they are now dumping even in times of low rainfall. Not every day, butt many days. Keep an eye on this map for your local area as you know what the recent weather will have been - https://www.sas.org.uk/map/

In reply to Post #6
That...is great info because what you have just described tallys up with this stream I know,it's got a brown sticky sludge all over the decaying weed,now ...I'm on it..!

Also I have noticed a lack of brownies,and believe it or not ,otter spraints either...now if the media heard about this..!!

And the fact this is the trial stream for tree killers with teeth,it won't go down too well..

I only fish the river for barbel every now and again and this summer watched a group of people swimming in the Avon 100 yards down from an inlet of sewage... Grim.

Our beautiful River Wye has been suffering since long before Brexit and any chemical shortage LINK

There was an article in the national Daily Mail yesterday, it looks like it is going to the House of Lords and then they are going to send it back to the House of Commons for them to vote again.

"Fury-Tory-MPs-vote-allow-water-companies-dump-raw-sewage-Britains-rivers-seas"

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10125805/Fury-Tory-MPs-vote-allow-water-companies-dump-raw-sewage-Britains-rivers-seas.html

"Just 22 Conservatives rebelled against the Government on Wednesday".

If yours was not one of the 'rebels' it's time to ask him or her some searching questions.

In reply to Post #10
Lok at all the domestic property that's been built everywhere over the last decade plus, tens of thousands of new houses all overwhelming the treatment plants and developers making billions. Won't be long till we are all paying for treatment plant expansions and new plants which the developers should have paid for before they were allowed to build.

In reply to Post #12
Infrastructure should be put in place before any development is sanctioned. It NEVER is.

52,000 new homes are planned for Cornwall in the next 9 years. Locals have objected passionately, saying that local infrastructure would be unable to cope with more houses...At present there are no plans for additional hospitals, schools, doctors, dentists, sewage plants, rubbish disposal plants or roads.

Luckily I'll be in my box by then, so I won't have to worry about it.

In reply to Post #12
This is a major concern, along with the fact that a majority of our existing infrastructure was built to last circa 50 years and is now disintegrating; the cost and difficulty of repair is beyond what funds are available (due to water authorities need to show a profit for shareholders, some of which are MP's of course) so we have 2 forces coming together, more pressure and an old network, so with added rainfall the system can not cope and untreated sewerage is 'allowed' to flow into rivers.
Treatment plant expansion has been in progress for years with some being completely rebuilt such as our nearest one which was built a good distance from the local town, but now unfortunately that town is getting 5000 new homes, all between the existing boundary and the treatment works! And, guess what? The social / low cost housing is put right next to the treatment works..

In reply to Post #13
Well I hope not Ken!

Interestingly; there are plans to divert water from the south west to the south east via a pipeline to cover the shortfall with all the house building going on and planned there..

Infrastructure is reactionary in the UK, as is most things it seems..

In reply to Post #13
Cornwall is already ruined in mine eyes..

Ken is correct,..if you live down here ,it's so sad,to witness.

I cannot believe how much damage is being done to the countryside and rural communities, I was proud to live in a lovely ,friendly place,not no more...its ruined,money greed and every bit of green being built on..

The sad thing is the very people who say that they want to live in a vibrant community are inadvertently destroying the very fabric of rural life..

And second homes,those greedy ,selfish people have really done so much damage locally,it beggars belief when local families are tuned out of B and Bs,hotel rooms ,these are local people made homeless,just so someone,some rich entitled ******* can have a holiday ,this is a truth,not heresy or exaggerated at all,it's shameful and immoral..

I'm a stranger in my village..!..I never used to be..

Wtf,I'm going for a walk..!

In reply to Post #16
It's not just Cornwall though, it's happening all along the south, councils are investing council tax money into development companies and then can't say no when these companies want to build on green belt or national parks and the returns on the in vestments doesn't cover the cost of all the infrastructure needed. Meanwhile are roads and pavements are falling apart, drainage ditches are choked with rubbish, the town centres are dying and the homeless population rising.

In reply to Post #17
I know mate,it's everywhere..its just wrong,wrong on every single level...

Gross mismanagement of a small overpopulated island,..

Money ,money ,money,greed,greed,greedy people who seem to think a few quid in their pockets is the panacea of existence..

How wrong and stupid can people be..

Today I visited my favourite lake,I got a shock,as when I turned up there were no trees ,only stumps and a great big grabber thing,I saw enough,...goodbye 40 years of memories ,gone..!!

Gutted,I hate humans sometimes,...

In reply to Post #18
Took some video ,wish I could show the decent people on here what I seen today...

Never mind ,it's only irreplaceable countryside..

See below for a petition to help:

https://www.theriverstrust.org/

https://www.theriverstrust.org/key-issues/state-of-our-rivers

In reply to Post #18
That is how I felt when I saw how Darenth Tree Lake and Long Lake had been destroyed in the nineties after they were bought from Leisure sport.

Three isn't a “But”, they were destroyed. Almost 30 years later and not a patch on what they used to be.

In reply to Post #21
I'm with you mate..

This place won't be the same again as well..

In reply to Post #20

In reply to Post #20
See below for a petition to help:

I am going senile, but I cannot see a link to a petition of those sites. Could you possibly post a link to the petition?

In reply to Post #24
I found this Ken

https://www.sas.org.uk/EndSewagePollution-SewageBill

In reply to Post #25
Thanks, Mal. I have already lobbied my MP and the only Petition I can find dates from a year ago, well before the recent vote.

In reply to Post #24
Sorry Ken I have used the wrong term, it is a lobbying email to your local MP that the link provides, my eagerness to get it out there overtook my vocabulary!

Anybody see the news, southern water discharged what looks like raw sewerage for 49hrs!!!

Disgraceful

Previously been fined, Doors wide open now to do what they want

In reply to Post #28
They have been doing it for years, no point asking government to ban it, too many MP'S invested in development companies.

Isn't it now that they have voted to allow them to discharge raw sewage at any time they see fit IF they claim to not be able to get the chemicals. So now not even a hint of a fine or bad publicity.

It appears now the decision has been reversed and MP's will force water companies to stop pumping untreated sewage into waterways etc.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10133563/Government-says-water-companies-forced-reduce-sewage-dumped-rivers.html

In reply to Post #31
Don't believe the hype. For sure there may have been a u turn of sorts but it will be a long time before any real action or change will be made. I say this as one of the bits of video is right where I live. The amount of crap thats been flooded into langstone harbour in recent times ( A designated bass nursery ) is un real.

1991: Let us privatise water, it'll cost every household in the country about £2000 more over 30 years, but we'll take that money and use it to upgrade infrastructure

2021: yeah, we didn't do that. We took the £60billion total and deposited it in our Cayman Islands bank accounts

In reply to Post #33
That's it.

And worst of all many of the companies have been sold so many times that today's owners are not even the ones that got the profits last decade. Macquarie and Thames Water comes to mind https://on.ft.com/3jTSrdZ (Link only works for first 3 clicks as behind Paywall)

In reply to Post #33


Many of the nationalised utility and public transport company systems were upgrading and modernising, from British Rail, British Telecom, the various water companies under regional ownership, to British Gas and the electricity companies.

British Rail was sold off as they became the 2nd most modern in the world, (behind Japan), 2nd in timekeeping and profit making behind only DB of Germany.

British Telecom was putting fibre optic cables to all households, but privatisation stopped that mid process.

The water companies stopped extending sewage works and infrastructure, with the exception of London and Bazzelgettes original Victorian sewerage system.

And worst of all many of the companies have been sold so many times that today's owners are not even the ones that got the profits last decade. Macquarie and Thames Water comes to mind https://on.ft.com/3jTSrdZ (Link only works for first 3 clicks as behind Paywall)

Many of our industries and utilities, including public transport are now owned by European owners, German and Dutch nationalised public transport companies own Many of ours.
French and German electricity companies own numbers of UK providers (Electricite de France, or EdF, and eON)

In reply to Post #35
If you ran your household or small business the way this country has been run since the 70s you would have nothing left
And be out on the street. It would be constantly remortgaging
. Or selling your property and goods to rent back at a higher price.

Rower notification from Thames Water:  Hammersmith Pumping Station (PS) Following the recent rainfall, Hammersmith Pumping Station has in the last hour discharged untreated sewage into the River Thames, due to lack of capacity in the existing sewer network. Tideway, ...

In reply to Post #37

In reply to Post #36
“ You will own nothing and be happy “ frightening lol

In reply to Post #38
I remember this book lol

A break down of the Govt proposal.

The proposal isn't worth the paper it is written on for two reasons. It's a confidence trick on the public, a political ruse. Let me explain why.

First, the duty is to "achieve a progressive reduction". But the duty is meaningless. If I was a water company and every year I reduced the amount of sewage I dumped by 1/10,000th I would be making a "progressive reduction" but I could carry on dumping **** for 10,000 years.

Second, if that was not bad enough, Government has simultaneously taken away what little it has given. Cold water swimmers, fishermen, grandparents, environmentalists are all banned from enforcing that theoretical right to compel a reduction in raw sewage dumping.
That's what sub-clause (3) does: it means we can't stop them. Only a Government Minister can enforce (or authorise the enforcement) of that duty.

It's breathtaking cynicism which will make no difference.

From The Times today


Untreated sewage is being spilled into rivers for months on end from emergency outlets that are only supposed to be used in severe storm conditions, an analysis for The Times has shown.

Conservative MPs suffered a backlash last week after they voted down an amendment to the Environment Bill that would have placed a legal duty on water companies “to take all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged from storm overflows”. The Commons is due to debate the amendment again today. Campaigners fear it will be altered to lessen its impact.

250 Tory MPs voted for corruption last week.

46 turned up to the standards debate.

253 later voted against the HoL amendment, opting to protect water companies' profits rather than our environment.

So sewage it is then.

In reply to Post #43
Frankly we need a revolution. This government doesn't represent the people of this country.

In reply to Post #43
Absolutely no surprise that they've no problem with sewage given where their politics are.

Somebody lend Starmer a backbone ffs. Then we might get rid

Its off the front pages. They are all about Govt corruption now.
So they go ahead. And with an 80 seat majority they can do
What they like.

In reply to Post #44
The Government does not represent the people of this country? Unbelievable! OFWAT wrote to every household to ask them how much extra would they would be willing to pay in order to force the Utilities to provide extra tanking to accommodate rain water in combined sewers. The answer, a resounding sweat FA.

In reply to Post #47
Did they? Any links to that? Cant find it

In reply to Post #48
Every household had one. It was part of the AMP 3 programme I recall.

In reply to Post #47
They don't need to increase costs. These companies are owned by foreign governments and private investment companies all over the world and because the income is guaranteed they have been able to borrow against them and now have a collective debt of 50 billion pounds. Yet they still pay big bonuses and big dividends to investors. Its time the shareholders were made to pay to maintain the companies by accepting a significant reduction in income.

In reply to Post #49
Can't find a single reference to it on Google.

In reply to Post #51
Ofwat consult every week. This was during the AMP3 programme in the run up to AMP4.

I was heavily involved in the legality of CSO 'spills' in rivers. Discharges were being allowed when (6x dry weather flow) combined levels in the sewer were caused by 'storms' under the provision that the receiving water body would.also be flooding and thereby dilute the effluent. I stood again the policy at the time while looking after spring fed rivers which take three days to rise after rain. I won a civil action for a pollution caused by a CSO on a limestone river and lobbied hard.

The greatest problem for me was this wretched Ofwat consultation which was held up against my claims, because the public would only pay 1p extra a week on their water bills to see the CSO problem resolved.

In the end I managed to force a local sewage station to invest £12.5m to upgrade under AMP5 and prevent 'spills' but achieved nothing nationally. I only did this through detailed benthic invert population studies which proved reduced ecological conditions below the discharge.

I do hope this latest media focus will.cause people to.want to pay to invest in clean rivers..

In reply to Post #52
By consultation you mean they write to every customer in the uk and ask them if theynare willing to,pay more
?

In reply to Post #53
The Regulator consults in loads of different ways. Just visit their website. Some are industry consultations others are via more wider groups but occasionally they consult every household. This was the case in question. I was told they should consult all consumers at the beginning of every asset management plan.

In reply to Post #54
Well quite. But when you said this:

44
The Government does not represent the people of this country? Unbelievable! OFWAT wrote to every household to ask them how much extra would they would be willing to pay in order to force the Utilities to provide extra tanking to accommodate rain water in combined sewers. The answer, a resounding sweat FA.


I can't find any reference to this letter at all. You would think it would also be a massive story. I mean a letter to every household. That's more than we have even done under Covid.

It's as big as the referendum really. If this happened I would expect to find some evidence of it. And why arent the Tory spin doctors using it.?

In reply to Post #55
It didn't happen, or we would have had the letter.

I didn't receive a letter from O F W A T. Can someone explain what cos means and amp3 and 4.Thanks.

Anglian Water has been fined £510k after allowing 6m litres of raw sewage to be discharged into the Great River Ouse killing 5,000 fish including brown trout, chub and pike.
Last year the firm made £93.6m profit & its 2 executive directors were paid £919k and £531k

In reply to Post #58
And yet otters are the problem....

In reply to Post #58
Saputo is a 48 billion dollar company ..

Saputo ,Dairy crest ,based on the old MMB site on Davidstow Moor, fined a paltry 1.5million quid ,for completely destroying the ecosystem of the famous River Inny,on the upper reaches..

They don't care,peanuts,loose change to a company of that stature, their mantra ,locally us to champion the environment..

Yeah right...!!!!

I stopped buying their products ,even though Cathedral city is nice..

In reply to Post #59
I was just about to post that sewage etc is a far bigger problem for the environment than otters are

In reply to Post #61
This also seems to be the precursor for water shortages in the coming years.

Find it extremely hard to believe after all the good that has happened to our waterways in the last 60 years, that we are now in this situation and have been going backwards for the past 25 years. Hardly any upgrades to our reserves or potential to keep what water we have clean.

In reply to Post #61
Humans are the biggest problem for the environment.

In reply to Post #63
AMEN to that

In reply to Post #61
It really is. I was being playful but let's all be real. There's little point spending thousands on protective fences when we've an infestation in parliament who allow this to happen.

The water companies are only allowed to do it because Parliament didn't vote to stop it

In reply to Post #58
Wonder if the person responsible for the fine is a share holder either directly or via their pension company investment. These fines are far too lenient ,should have been 25% of the 93 million. Southern water are worse and fined last year but still discharge raw sewage.

Matt Hayes was the guest on Lawrence Fox's GB News show last week, highlighting the dire state of our rivers and that the Politicians are letting the water companies get away with it!

It's actually good to see both Laurence Fox and Nigel Farage asking the questions to guest politicians, why the privatised Water Companies are not being held to account!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZdonFpQlmw

In just a few short years some incompetent governance
And money grabbing gaming of the system has reversed literally decades
Of good work. All for even more profit.

In reply to Post #68
So true, the EA have been pumping money into rivers and water quality for as long as I can remember. How do they get these crazy ideas approved, surely there must have been some proper consulting with the relevant parties?

In reply to Post #69
I belive a few.month back a bill was tabled to stop water companies being able
To polute at will during flooding. (That's how they gamenthe system(

The Conservatives, that have a substantial majority, voted against those restrictions.

In reply to Post #70
Exactly this.

I posted a link so people could see how their mp voted. My suggestion is to not vote for them again if you care about our waters...

best salads in wilmington nc

In reply to Post #70
I can't remember which way the Ipswich Conservative MP Tom Hunt voted, but he did do a local paper article for East Anglian Daily Times or Ipswich Star bemoaning the state of the River Gipping, low flow, overgrown, polluted etc, litter and covered in duck weed.

Then we have Therese Coffey allowing water companies until 2050 to invest and continuing to pollute.

In reply to Post #73
I had a look for you.mate. he voted to.allow them to
Continue realising Raw Sewage. Checked it.out on the
'They work for you website'.

Above my level of knowledge but surely the environment agency should have a say in who does what and a say on the releases by application ffs?

In reply to Post #75
I'm afraid not. Their level is prosecuting a Dad fishing with his
Kids on a public park lake on a bank holiday.

In reply to Post #75
Unfortunately Government and the EA seem to have very little say when it comes to the Utility companies (As with Energy Companies) so much money/greed involved they can practically do as they wish.

I saw a report published the other day – total shareholder dividend payments since water companies were privatised = £57 Billion in 30 years

And what did Thatcher say “We are privatising the Water Companies so they will invest money into replacing the aging Victorian infrastructure” Well that was a pack of lies.

In reply to Post #77
The EA has no power.
Govt have ultimate power. They have been asked again and again
To tighten the laws. And they refuse. Its been voted down by this Govt twice in 18 months. Its all there in black and white.

In reply to Post #74
Thanks.
So his piece in the paper could well have been virtue signalling!

Until we get water companies actually answering to a 'watchdog' of some type we are ministerially screwed.
In my view they need to be renationalised. Thatchers view on modernisation and investment in the privatised sectors of transport, gas, electricity and water has definitely not come to fruition.

As nationalised industries they were making the attempt.

Just boils my pi$$, this country is broken beyond belief the amount of corruption behind all facets of big business and the governments that have been in power in my 52 years on the planet is currently at a level of greed that the shoe we are being trodden with doesn't just smell of sh!t anymore theres a disgusting whiff of Death to it.

In reply to Post #79
Well Gaslighting is a.more accurate term. If he had voted against allowing them to Continue releasing raw sewage whenever they want and then went around saying how great he is then an opponent might say 'bloody virtue signalling'

Whereas he has expressly followed the Conservative whip and voted twice to allow it.
So he's gaslighting, doing one thing and pretending that he did another. Hoping that most don't notice.

In reply to Post #82
You know what they say mate

'Vote Tory and you'll end up swimming in sh*t'

Think I'll send that to starmer for his next election posters

In reply to Post #83
What do you think Starmer is going to do Mal? They are all the bloody same – all of them tell you exactly what they think you want to hear, in order to get your vote. Then when voted in do nothing, time and time again.

In reply to Post #84
True enough. With a few (too few) exceptions.

But unfortunately we're stuck with starmer as the only viable alternative to the current shower who are definitely the worst, most corrupt lot that I've seen. Not just on this issue, but on just about everything.

I'm not a labour voter but I imagine there'll be many like me who would vote to oust the slugs we currently have.

In reply to Post #84
He can't be worse Keith.

They are all the same is coming out a lot now.
A lot of paid right wing journos and their tweets have a lot of this. When it's so bad
That they can't be defended any more.

One today went a step further. "I can't see how people think Starmer is going to fix this'
Imagine that. And that was Tory supporter.

In reply to Post #4
Not strictly true Thames Water have been continually pumping raw sewage into the river Wey at Weybridge since October

In reply to Post #86
They are all just a shower of poo Paul, and it's nothing new – it's probably been that way since Cromwell died. Only difference now is thanks to the internet, mobile phones with instant record, instant photo's and the ability to show the evidence far and wide in seconds, they have become accountable (And they don't like it!)

What can Starmer do to stop the legalised dumping of raw sewage into our waterways; well he would fine them millions of £'s

Would it affect the shareholders? Nope they would still get their dividend payments.

Would it affect the Bosses? Nope, they would still get paid huge wages regardless.

Would it affect workforce? Nope, skeleton staff levels already propped up by private
companies on call as required.

Would it affect the customer? To dammed right it would, me and you would be footing the bill (as always!)

In reply to Post #88
You're right on lots of things there kieth

But.. the issue is that a proposal was put forward to make this dumping of raw sewage illegal. And 250 tory mp's voted against it. (Some Labour mp's too no doubt)

So in a simple 'what could starmer / anyone else do?' scenario, they could not use the whip to force a ridiculous blocking of a policy that makes sense to everyone except those with a vested / financial interest...

Parliament had the chance to stop this. And now we're swimming in tory sh*t . (I'm adopting it as my slogan)

There is ongoing issues with East Midlands airport and the discharge of anti freeze filled water into the Trent. This discharge is responsible for a fungus that's growing from the riverbed.
The E A have renewed the permit with conditions. However the discharge is still affecting the river and an investigation is underway by the EA, but the discharge continues.

Derby Telegraph article

In reply to Post #86
My worry is that Keir Starmer is a champagne socialist, or as I described Tony Blair, a Pink Tory.
I think that the problem is those who are in power, the government, live mostly in towns and the countryside is alien to them. They are corrupt, often receiving big donations from private companies, like the water companies, rail franchises etc, and simply don't care about the environment.

We are at the stage of needing a revolution, to remove political parties from government and going to a system of people of the people chosen by the people, with no party bias.
Unfortunately how do you choose people to represent your area? Not easy when a constituency will be covering tiny villages with no major towns.

We aren't capable of choosing the wisest, most environmentally friendly, and it seems that those with common sense don't want anything to do with politics.

In reply to Post #91
Keir Starmer is practically a Tory and appears to be angering huge swathes of the LP membership with each passing day. The only real hope that I can see of "...going to a system of people of the people chosen by the people, with no party bias...." is if he follows through with Proportional Representation which was overwhelmingly backed at the last LP Conference. If he doesn't, then obviously his reputation as an advocate for democracy will be in tatters (what's left of it anyway) and after his party delivers more of the same policies (just with vastly less sleaze and corruption) after winning the next GE, he will leave the door wide open for the Tories in 2029. That will be pretty much the end of any chance we have of ridding ourselves of the type of politics that has been devastating for this country. So, if PR pops up in any manifestos leading up to the next GE, anyone who really cares about a true democracy and genuinely fixing all of the issues that surround us would be well advised to get behind it.

<*switches off notifications*>

In reply to Post #82
Well said that man, he is an angler, super fines, that cripple them

In reply to Post #77
I saw a report published the other day – total shareholder dividend payments since water companies were privatised = £57 Billion in 30 years

And what did Thatcher say “We are privatising the Water Companies so they will invest money into replacing the aging Victorian infrastructure” Well that was a pack of lies.

That's the real problem, accountability ZERO

Beaches in Blackpool, Southport, St Annes and Morecambe are amongst the most polluted coastal spots in England and Wales.
According to recent figures, England and Wales' waterways had sewage pumped into them for at least 3.4million hours in just one year. Data from 2021 revealed the horrifying extent to which rivers, canals, the sea and other bodies have been polluted by water companies.
Figures from the Environment Agency - crunched by Top of the Poops - has found which water companies most guilty of spilling sewage into the country's water. It is thought the numbers may also be an underestimate as the companies don't always reliably collect data, it said.

The culprits-
Warrington-based water giant United Utilities said on Thursday its underlying operating profit fell from £732.1 million to £602.1 million as revenue slipped 2.8% to £1.80 billion in the year to March 31, 2021.

It's embarrassing that the British public are allowing this to happen, think its time to fire all the politicians!

In reply to Post #95
Agreed. It's a disgrace.

And to top it off...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64653482

In reply to Post #96
BBC has woken up about six months out of date with the times

GB News has been giving the Water and Energy Companies pure unadulterated hell for months! I'm surprised Lawrence Fox has not had a contract taken out on him, paid for by the Utility Companies, there's no holding back unlike the “BBC Pussy's”

Just turned GB News on now while having some dinner, guess who's on

https://www.windrushwasp.org/

In reply to Post #97
Well, I'd say that the issue has become so significant that the BBC can longer ignore at the behest of their Tory overlords. They're certainly pathetic. That said, I'd not be giving the time of day to channels like GB News or imbeciles like Laurence Fox either - their contributions to the enormous sh*t show that's enveloping this country today should not be underestimated. Luckily, I can't see GB News lasting much longer really, Ofcom will be scything them down soon enough since they're little more than a conspiracy broadcaster.

Addressed on the BBC news tonight

Sorry for my impoliteness but what the **** does that dumb arsed stupid bitch know, I will tell you, **** all

Pay increases for water company bosses...

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/uk-water-company-bosses-pay-rise-sewage-clean-it-up-rg88t5kl3

In reply to Post #95
The really awful thing is just how quickly the Govt have reversed
Decades of good work. Just 10 years ago we were winning
Blue flags all over the place. Short term profit over the long term good
Again.

In reply to Post #101
Look who is in charge of it....

No hope




https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/river-deben-sewage-therese-coffey-clean-it-up-7ds3wj3xq

In reply to Post #101
Exactly that

Just wait until the waterways are truly tucked and some idiot will say, we shouldn't be doing that ffs

In reply to Post #88
What he (or the current bunch) could do is:
- tell Ofwat to enforce the law as strictly as is possible on every breach
- if a company has more than x breaches implemented special measures consisting of
— all dividend payments suspended until breaches fall below x
— all bonuses stopped until breaches fall below x
— investigate each Water Co's specific rules on bonus clawbacks for executives (my company can do this for YEARS of payments, I expect other FTSE100 can as well)
- ban all offshore company structures for Water CO's
- ban bonuses based on any measures except environmental, customer service, or value to customers

If they aren't happy with this, they can hand the keys back.

To see how much they are looting us look at this (in the FT so hardly anti business!) https://www.ft.com/content/5413ebf8-24f1-11e7-8691-d5f7e0cd0a16

This is an actual Govt committee report.

In a time of divisive and tribal politics with misinformation all around
This report from Jan 2022 (things are worse now) is plain scary.




https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/160246/chemical-cocktail-of-sewage-slurry-and-plastic-polluting-english-rivers-puts-public-health-and-nature-at-risk/#:~:text=Only%2014%25%20of%20English%20rivers,of%20health%20for%20chemical%20contamination

In reply to Post #13
I hope not Mate, hope you have a good long time to go yet.

Infrastructure in place?
Have you seen Wellingborough and the 'temporary' sewage pipe.
A sewage pipe not properly set was leaking underground on a new housing estate in the town.
My view was that the engineering should have been done properly in the first place, not an emergency fix.
The leaking sections could have been fixed immediately instead of this bodge job

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2023-02-02/unbelievable-disgust-at-huge-sewer-pipe-flowing-through-new-estate

I walk along my local River Gipping, years ago Ted Head mentioned fishing it for carp, (a chapter in Neal Waytes River Carping) and even then condoms and tampons were floating around the river. We still have outlets from Sproughton and Needham Market sewage works coming into the river, and water was being pumped out from the river into Alton Water, a drinking water supply reservoir until the Environment Agency removed the licence.
It is no cleaner now.

The Rivers Deben and Waveney are no better.

How many rivers are actually clean in the whole of the country?

In reply to Post #106
According to the report I just posted not one is clean
Zero!

Davidstow factory...

In reply to Post #109

In reply to Post #109
What's that on twitter or something?

In reply to Post #112
That was a Matt Hayes Facebook page post mate

In reply to Post #110
Thanks for putting this up..

I actually monitor the outflow nearby,it's appalling what has happened to the beautiful.River inny..I'm not going to go on and on ,but the river is ruined ..I will never eat,purchase any Saputo products as long as I'm alive and able to make my own decisions..

48 billion dollar company ,paltry fine..oh and the smell...

RIP Kernow...

In reply to Post #114
Just contacted

Mr Scott Mann..former local postie, and now MP for North.Cornwall..

Along the lines ,come the next election we shall remember you...and not only allowing the ruination of the countryside ,the local rivers and how the second homes have destroyed our communities..pushing old people to live in garden sheds ,whilst pandering to.those with no.interest in rural life,other than the 'views' ..

We need a revolution in this country ,as all the other so called parties ,are just the same...


Call your self an angler Mr Mann...

In reply to Post #113
Cheers Paul

In reply to Post #116
More on the state of the rivers...

https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/uk-rivers-20-high-risk-pollution-chemicals-sewage-plastic-wildlife-trusts-2174378

In reply to Post #117
Giving the River it's own local legal rights, might be the way forward?


https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/river-ouse-may-become-first-in-england-to-gain-legal-rights/ar-AA1865ao?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=81f076af025e4ff48f7b3f5d84cb5d72&ei=7

navigate to the closest petrol station

In reply to Post #119
Publicity and getting this out there is everything for me with this

In reply to Post #120
Yes. Whitehouse on BBC is a great effort.

In reply to Post #121
BBC, great platform, hopefully it generates some interest and drives a revolution

Bump. BBC2 at 8pm tonight

Humans....
Fuc£ing up the planet for years all for the gains of whatever it takes
if you want to do your bit ...don't flush your shi*
If you think the rivers in the UK are in trouble. I'd say you need to see the world
First..as sad as it is.

In reply to Post #124
Yes, but ours were clean. Just a few years ago we had reversed
A century or more of damage. Other countries where day to day life
Is tougher may well have more issues. But that's not a good reason to let
Ours go to hell just for corporate profit.

Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers, Series 1: Episode 1: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001jw6p via @bbciplayer

Bloody EA. Brave enough when fining a Dad and lad at a park lake.

In reply to Post #128
Part 2 tonight, great publicity

Let's hope it prompts a review

In reply to Post #129
Brushed the carpet or sea.

In reply to Post #127
Is this for real ?

In reply to Post #132
In this day and age with all the technology about there should be no excuses, for me they should hit them with fines or issue a pollution tax for anybody discharging into our water courses which in turn should drive them to clean up their game. This is simply the government turning a blind eye on business and letting them crack on, I am sure at least the shareholders will be happy

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65145953

Will it happen?

In reply to Post #134
Thing is that £250,000 cap on fines has allowed them to get away with dumping and not investing in new plants and updating/expanding existing plant while paying huge dividends to wealthy share holders. Sadly even if unlimited fines were handed out these companies would simply pas the cost on to the consumer and maintain the huge profit margins unless the government put a cap on price increases.

In reply to Post #63
Don't worry there are plans to deal with that.