Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) hosted a paddle out event at Appley in Ryde at weekend – and are now urging Islanders to join their campaign for cleaner water.
There were various speakers and the audience gathered heard some shocking facts about the Island’s waters including that the Island had 12 of the 83 worst beaches in the country for total duration of combined sewage overflows in 2022.
Furthermore, Southern Water got a 1-star environment rating from the Environment Agency and their CEO Lawrence Gosden got £966,800 in CEO bonuses last financial year.
The DEFRA target for 2025 to 2030 is to reduce overflows from 20 spills per CSO (Combined Sewer Overflows) to 15 per year. However, Southern Water currently has a 17.8 average so Surfers Against Sewage argue that this does not go far enough.
SAS are asking Islanders to sign their Dirty Money Petition which has put pressure on the water companies and 3 water bosses have now given up their bonus. Moreover, Southern Water CEO is going to give up his bonus for 2023.
They are also urging Islanders to download their SSRS app which will help people choose when it is safe to use the water, but also includes options for other actions one can take including auto generated emails to water company CEO’s and MP’s to report pollution.
Locally there is the Pathfinder Project from Southern Water. Their Island team got £12million from the early release of the next cycle of money from OFWAT’S £1.6billion a couple of months ago. They are focused on optimizing their assets, identifying missed connections and sustainable urban drainage at business and community buildings, homes and roads.
There are also plans for 2 wetlands to be created. Locally they are working to the best of their ability within the larger restrictions and are passionate in their words to “reduce” sewage pollution but holding them to account can only happen if Islanders work collaboratively.
The pressure currently building on the water industry is working, with news over the weekend of an apology and £10billion of investment over the next decade. SAS welcomed “the long overdue apology” but said the investment should not be paid for through higher bills.
Izzy Ross, campaigns manager at SAS said:
“The UK public has already paid for environmental protection from sewage – but we’re yet to see it. And whilst the water industry rakes it in, this investment pledged by Water UK must come out of water company profits, not from the bill payer.”
SW Pathfinder are focusing on Gurnard and are then moving to another area – likely either Fishbourne or Binstead and SAS are asking why they should wait for their turn in their plan. They say that governance takes time we do not have and that the Island’s MP’s focus on water butts is too narrow. SAS argue that Islanders should be a majority stakeholder in the Island’s future water quality.
SAS is urging people to raise the profile of the issue of sewage in our waters with their community, faith or sports groups and to speak to their elected representatives, Councillors at all levels and raise objections to planning that does not have sustainable drainage.
Any well-run business invests to safeguard its future. Southern Water (to name just one) has failed to do so. Ergo, not a well-run business. So what is OfWat for? And why are the directors and exxecutives still in place?
Answer: because they’ve been pouring money into short-sighted shareholders’ pockets.
In 2012 the UK government has been fined by EU tribunals for lack of enforcement of rules over water companies and the. control and thus quality of water improved over next years. Now that we had a great success of Brexit, I wonder what’s the plan from Brexiteers to make sure government is actually tough on water companies because so far it’s not better?
We also need to look into towns and cities that can hold more water: more green space rather than concrete. But that’s against cars, more parking spaces, suburbia and artificial grass so so tough sell for some – heck, even the “no mow May” that helps biodiversity and water retention is seen as some evil plan by golf-trim enthusiasts.
Don’t disagree,but I and everyone else will have to pay considerably more for our water ,but only benefits a minority. People should not waste so much water and putting excess down sewers – eg people now often having 1,2,3 showers a day ( 40 yrs ago 1 and if lucky 2 a week) people use dishwashers , washing machines often several times a day ( year’s ago a couple of washes once a week). Sewers were never built for this. Cut back and not only save money, environment etc but stop our bill’s rising. 140,000 person’s on IOW and around only couple thousand ever swim in sea ,the rest are tourists.
Until each water company sorts its responsibilities out there should be no bonuses paid to the CEO/directors no dividends paid to shareholders as they have been creaming money off our water bills for years. Water is something none of can live without and these companies should never have been privatised. Only when the seas are clean and safe along safe drinking water should payments recommence.
Just what a tourist island needs! Misguided demonstrations exaggerating sea conditions. Thus putting off tourists !!
Are you suggesting he didn’t earn that £1 million bonus?! How very dare you, I’m sure he worked really hard, you’re just jealous. Try working hard and you too will get a £1 million pound bonus. Kids these days don’t want to work.
Why does the CEO – or anyone else for that matter – get a bonus ? and if one is justifyable how on earth is it worth almost 1 million. It’s absolutely crazy that a manager of a company that is so obviously failing in it’s duties can be rewarded at all, let along by this much. Whoever agred to this robbery needs to be seriuosly questioned as there may well be collusion and / or other devious goings on in the background of all this.