Beaches at Cowes, Gurnard and Yaverland are 2nd, 4th and 5th respectively on the list of beaches worst affected by the discharges from Southern Water.
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS’s) annual water quality report, which launches on Thursday (24th November) for the first time reveals evidence that water companies have permitted illegal ‘dry spills’ – i.e. discharges of sewage when there has been no rain.
Sewage outflows are only permitted in ‘unusually heavy rainfall’, but analysis from SAS suggests regulations were ignored by water companies.
Going back as recently as October, protesters gathered on the beach in Gurnard, along with Island MP Bob Seely to let their views on sewage discharge known.
Those in attendance and Mr Seely proportion a lot of the blame with Southern Water who in Seely’s words, have spilt too much sewage into rivers and onto beaches and must clean up their act.
Despite public outcry at the volume of sewage being released by water companies into our rivers and onto our beaches, the government has continued to drag its heels on bringing water companies into line. Reductions in regulator funding of over 50% over the last decade, combined with the stripping of red tape to allow water companies to self-report on their pollution, has left the UK’s rivers and seascapes in dire straits.
Amy Slack, Head of Campaigns and Policy at SAS, said:
“Surfers Against Sewage has been campaigning on water quality for the last three decades, making it abundantly clear to water companies that their actions are detrimental to both environmental and public health. Yet water companies are still choosing to pour sewage into the ocean and rivers across the country, make us quite literally sick of sewage.
Article continues below this advertisement “The government is complicit in the sewage scandal, failing to enforce and strengthen regulations to protect the health of the UK’s waterways – and the health of its citizens. Politicians are simply kicking the can down the road, legitimising sewage pollution for the next 27 years through the sewage action plan published this summer.
A Southern Water spokesperson has said:
“Storm releases, which go a long way to reduce the impact of the type of flooding we have seen recently, and which are permitted by the Environmental Agency, reduced by nearly 50% this year compared to last, in part due to a dry summer. We’re investing £2bn to improve environmental performance and further reduce their use, by increasing storage capacity and working with partners to reduce the rain run-off entering the system.
“Our data on storm overflows, including unconsented spills, is submitted to the Environment Agency. Our annual bathing water update details how we are working to create healthier rivers and seas. This improvement is being achieved through record additional investment to reduce pollution and prevent flooding, industry-leading monitoring and transparency on spill reporting, and the exploration of innovative, nature-based and engineering solutions.”
When I was growing up in Cowes , over 65 years ago, we described swimming there as, “going through the motions”, it would appear that progress has done little to change this.
Wish we could flush Southern Water out to sea
The water / sewage companies should object strongly to every house building application and admit they have not got the facilities to deal with the sewage.
Excellent point
Total Ban on New Builds until the problem is sorted out
too late our caring council have just given the green light on 100 new builds
It’s actually 7 out of the top 10
Still, I bet our MP is really making a big fuss about it – NOT
Seeing as he actively voted against doing anything about it, I can only imagine he likes swimming in poo.
Bob’s probably at a Barbeque
of cause not. He is all mouth. Out of all the things he has said over the last few years i dont think any thing he said has happen. The perfect name for this man is shitlips
Well Mr. Seely M.P and island representative, what are you going to do about it?
SW need to review the waste water charges, the Council needs to think very hard before selling off more reservoir’s and think about building more as I also understand SW are disposing of waste water into the rivers on the mainland that pipe a large amount of water to the Island. Yes you can taste the difference, bring back our reservoirs.
Certainly nothing to be proud of, something has to be done ASAP
yes increase the fines to SW as at the moment the fines must be less that then the correct way to treat the sewage
Surfers against sewage deserve a medal for their tireless campaigning against a worsening problem. This has gone on for far too many years.