Sewage discharge into rivers.

[suffolksmallholder]

Todays BBC news is a fanfare from an assortment of water companies who regularly discharge raw sewage into our rivers that they will invest money into stopping or reducing this pollution.
The BBC sound clip told of price incerases to water users, which is pretty much everyone in England, and the oposition expressing a desire for the shareholders to foot this bill as it is they who have creamed off those profits when they really should have been re-invested into better water treatment.
With The River Lugg discussion here on the forum and the small section of this river touched Mr Mr Price and the legal over-reation (IMO) I wonder if the water companies are slightly nervous now about their ineptitude and lack of investment over a good number of years.
They can't keep on blaming the Farming community for river pollution can they?
SS

 

[Bald Rick]

Think you mean “invest your money in infrastructure”

Bunch of Robin Hoods

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Think you mean “invest your money in infrastructure”

Bunch of Robin Hoods

So, so true!
SS

 

[Bury the Trash]

Put the people at the top of those companies in Jail and fine them , themselves .make them personally accountable .
That would focus their minds .

 

[robs1]

Put the people at the top of those companies in Jail and fine them , themselves .make them personally accountable .
That would focus their minds .

It definitely needs doing but it's the same situation with councils and planning, they take on the little man but scared of big developer, the EA are scared of the water companies they can afford the best lawyers who will run rings round the EA , they just pay a few tiny fines instead of many millions sorting the problem, gin and tonics all round

 

[Oliveau]

The problem is Victorian infrastructure trying to deal with a vastly increased population. Particularly in cities and large towns wher older properties discharge rain water into the sewers. The cost & upheaval in separating rain water from foul drainage is eyewatering.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

The problem is Victorian infrastructure trying to deal with a vastly increased population. Particularly in cities and large towns wher older properties discharge rain water into the sewers. The cost & upheaval in separating rain water from foul drainage is eyewatering.

In other words long term under investment whilst creaming off profits.

 

[toquark]

The privatisation of the English water companies is (or should be) a national scandal.

This from an avowed capitalist.

 

[Steevo]

What's the betting that in 5 years the situation hasn't improved, despite bills having gone up significantly, and due to the extra million people per year population increase in this country, the number of discharges is even higher.


Personally I think the water companies need to be putting their money where their mouths are and making these investments first, before suggesting that bills should go up. Leopards don't change their spots and all that.

 

[quattro]

What’s the Nfu doing o I sfa

 

[melted welly]

The problem is Victorian infrastructure trying to deal with a vastly increased population. Particularly in cities and large towns wher older properties discharge rain water into the sewers. The cost & upheaval in separating rain water from foul drainage is eyewatering.

Every new build house to have a 2000l tank to collect rainwater from roof. Steady up the storm surges, resilience in dry spells. Should be a no brainier.

 

[PostHarvest]

IMHO, the water companies have grown fat and lazy due to their monopoly position. Some time ago, I requested a water meter to be fitted. 17 visits and 15 months later, when someone actually opened his tool box. the job took 20 minutes. Six weeks ago, I reported a major water leak outside our yard. I phoned the water company on Wednesday, on Friday afternoon, a truck towing a digger arrived. Two men sat in the truck watching water run down the road for 2 hours. On Sunday, they came back for another two hours of water watching. The next Tuesday, they returned, actually unloaded the digger and essentially put a band around the pipe, what I would class as a temporary fix. It will blow again within 6 months, guaranteed.

 

[Bury the Trash]

It definitely needs doing but it's the same situation with councils and planning, they take on the little man but scared of big developer, the EA are scared of the water companies they can afford the best lawyers who will run rings round the EA , they just pay a few tiny fines instead of many millions sorting the problem, gin and tonics all round

Absolutely, Exactly .

 

[Huno]

Todays BBC news is a fanfare from an assortment of water companies who regularly discharge raw sewage into our rivers that they will invest money into stopping or reducing this pollution.
The BBC sound clip told of price incerases to water users, which is pretty much everyone in England, and the oposition expressing a desire for the shareholders to foot this bill as it is they who have creamed off those profits when they really should have been re-invested into better water treatment.
With The River Lugg discussion here on the forum and the small section of this river touched Mr Mr Price and the legal over-reation (IMO) I wonder if the water companies are slightly nervous now about their ineptitude and lack of investment over a good number of years.
They can't keep on blaming the Farming community for river pollution can they?
SS

Let the public swim in their own excrament and they can pay to clean it up too... farmers just do what they asked us to do... let's all start to learn to rise above this maybe?? After all we only grow food free of charge these days?

 

[Goweresque]

It definitely needs doing but it's the same situation with councils and planning, they take on the little man but scared of big developer, the EA are scared of the water companies they can afford the best lawyers who will run rings round the EA , they just pay a few tiny fines instead of many millions sorting the problem, gin and tonics all round

I think its more that the EA realise that the water companies have reality on their side. If the EA told them 'No more discharging into rivers' then what would happen? Sewers would be overflowing left right and centre every time it rained heavily and public areas and houses would be constantly flooded with sewage. There's a lot of sewage to be dealt with, on a 24/7 basis, and it has to go somewhere. Wanting things to be different does not change reality. So while they can fine them, and have done, they physically can't stop it overnight because the alternative is less acceptable than allowing it to overflow into rivers.

 

[le bon paysan]

Every new build house to have a 2000l tank to collect rainwater from roof. Steady up the storm surges, resilience in dry spells. Should be a no brainier.

. And use it to flush the loo

 

[melted welly]

. And use it to flush the loo

Great idea

 

[tepapa]

I think its more that the EA realise that the water companies have reality on their side. If the EA told them 'No more discharging into rivers' then what would happen? Sewers would be overflowing left right and centre every time it rained heavily and public areas and houses would be constantly flooded with sewage. There's a lot of sewage to be dealt with, on a 24/7 basis, and it has to go somewhere. Wanting things to be different does not change reality. So while they can fine them, and have done, they physically can't stop it overnight because the alternative is less acceptable than allowing it to overflow into rivers.

the water companies could invest millions into new infrastructure but they don't in favour of share holders payouts and bonuses. But then there is no pressure for them to invest.

 

[Exfarmer]

Every single person expects some one else to get rid of our sh1t, but do not want to pay for it. For 40 years the government has been trying to keep the real cost of sewage disposal while not impacting on inflation and the cost of living. At the same time encouraging us to indulge in a lifestyle which every year uses more water which ends up down the sewers. every day more houses are built but no effort is put in place to handle the extra waste and run off this will entail, in theory new builds are encouraged to take measures to ensure permeability of outside surfaces whilst no effort is taken to ensure these are maintained , or any effort to ensure the claims of these surfaces are correct or bare faced lies.
while the disposal of faeces and urine are easy when undiluted, diluting these with literally tens of thousands of litres of water, detergents , bleaches , road waste including oils, tonnes of salt etc is in truth a near impossible task.
like all waste disposal we are passing the buck, but unlike the recycled plastic, cardboard, and other solid carp we send to third world countries , this sewage is one thing we cannot hide and is evident to any and all who has any interest in the natural environment.

 

[Northern territory]

I think its more that the EA realise that the water companies have reality on their side. If the EA told them 'No more discharging into rivers' then what would happen? Sewers would be overflowing left right and centre every time it rained heavily and public areas and houses would be constantly flooded with sewage. There's a lot of sewage to be dealt with, on a 24/7 basis, and it has to go somewhere. Wanting things to be different does not change reality. So while they can fine them, and have done, they physically can't stop it overnight because the alternative is less acceptable than allowing it to overflow into rivers.

Very true, something on 5 live earlier saying the water companies comply with offwat rather than EA. They govern how much profit a company is allowed to make before re investment. Some so called expert reckoned it would cost the taxpayer more than the extra on bills if it was in public ownership and that all the shareholders would do one if they weren’t getting their dividend so wouldn’t be able to borrow as much if share price was to low. All one big merry go round.