1966_and_all_that
Well-known member
And so the fag end of this failed Tory project continues. Today's news is about the state of Britain's sewerage system. The BBC reports:
"Sewage spills into England's rivers and seas by water companies more than doubled last year. According to the Environment Agency there were 3.6 million hours of spills compared to 1.75 million hours in 2022. Water UK, the industry body for sewerage companies, said it was 'unacceptable' but the record levels were due to heavy rain." [my bold font]. Heavy rain?! This is the lamest excuse since the railway was scuppered by leaves on the tracks. Environmentalists are saying that these spills should only happen in exceptional weather conditions. Even the Environment Agency is saying that "heavy rainfall does not affect water companies' responsibility to manage storm overflows in line with legal requirements."
The BBC itself, conducted an investigation in 2023 that, they say, shows how "Three major water companies illegally discharged sewage hundreds of times last year on days when it was not raining...The practice, known as "dry spilling", is banned because it can lead to higher concentrations of sewage in waterways. Thames, Wessex and Southern Water appear to have collectively released sewage in dry spills for 3,500 hours in 2022 - in breach of their permits. Water UK, the industry body, said the spills 'should be investigated'. The BBC requested the same data from the other water companies in England, which said they could not respond due to being under an Environment Agency (EA) criminal investigation." An early estimate of the most recent Environment Agency's figures (for 2023), suggest that total discharges from the 14,000 storm overflows owned by English water companies that release untreated sewage into rivers and coastal waters increased by 59% to 477,972, making 2023 the worst year for sewage spills.
Now these are failures of the privatised water companies, not the Government per se. That said, the Government is responsible for the regulatory framework and for setting the national, strategic objectives of the industry as a whole. In this regard the Government has clearly failed to hold the industry to account.
"Sewage spills into England's rivers and seas by water companies more than doubled last year. According to the Environment Agency there were 3.6 million hours of spills compared to 1.75 million hours in 2022. Water UK, the industry body for sewerage companies, said it was 'unacceptable' but the record levels were due to heavy rain." [my bold font]. Heavy rain?! This is the lamest excuse since the railway was scuppered by leaves on the tracks. Environmentalists are saying that these spills should only happen in exceptional weather conditions. Even the Environment Agency is saying that "heavy rainfall does not affect water companies' responsibility to manage storm overflows in line with legal requirements."
The BBC itself, conducted an investigation in 2023 that, they say, shows how "Three major water companies illegally discharged sewage hundreds of times last year on days when it was not raining...The practice, known as "dry spilling", is banned because it can lead to higher concentrations of sewage in waterways. Thames, Wessex and Southern Water appear to have collectively released sewage in dry spills for 3,500 hours in 2022 - in breach of their permits. Water UK, the industry body, said the spills 'should be investigated'. The BBC requested the same data from the other water companies in England, which said they could not respond due to being under an Environment Agency (EA) criminal investigation." An early estimate of the most recent Environment Agency's figures (for 2023), suggest that total discharges from the 14,000 storm overflows owned by English water companies that release untreated sewage into rivers and coastal waters increased by 59% to 477,972, making 2023 the worst year for sewage spills.
Now these are failures of the privatised water companies, not the Government per se. That said, the Government is responsible for the regulatory framework and for setting the national, strategic objectives of the industry as a whole. In this regard the Government has clearly failed to hold the industry to account.
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