Charlbury waters

Sat 29 May 2021, 11:13

I wrote a fierce email to Robert Courts yesterday and received a long and detailed reply from his assistant very quickly. Obviously most of it stressed what a 'passionate conservationist' R.C. is and how concerned he is and how he is heading various drives to make things better. The gist of the reply is that the main problem is Victorian storm overflows which the water companies rely on too much. He does say that there are other pollutants in the river apart from sewage---run off from fields, leaking pipes etc.

However, he says that they (the gov.) are committed to having a plan by Sept. 2022 and making sure this plan is followed. The plan is to make the water companies use the storm overflows less. 

He does not comment on my point that the water companies should use some of their enormous profit to bring their plants up to standard (in which case they wouldn't have to use the storm overflows at all). Also Sept. 2020 is too far away AND they shouldn't have allowed the water companies to get into this mess anyway.

I am very happy to share the reply but don't know how to do that having limited tech. skills.

Thu 27 May 2021, 09:15

This might be of interest.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/frannyarmstrong/rivercide

Wed 26 May 2021, 23:13

Good to see this issue is at last gaining a higher profile politically.  The petition is still at the infant stage, you can be sure is circulating among interested parties (e.g. the Cotswold Fly Fishers and doubtless many others) - and is calling for much the same as I did when I last wrote to Robert Courts (see CUTE! in the Debate section), so far without a substantive reply.  Encouragingly, WASP also recently reported a more constructive approach from Thames Water but as ever, the proof of the pudding etc.

Oh and a PS to my post in April - I didn't get a definitive view on the possible fungus - but now think it was just a build up of mud etc - and I eventually found some fish, inc a sizeable pike - but not telling where!

Wed 26 May 2021, 20:17

Me too + circulated on social media.

Wed 26 May 2021, 18:16

I have also signed.

Wed 26 May 2021, 18:01

I've signed the petition too, Gareth, but not many others have signed so far.

Wed 26 May 2021, 15:46

I have, shamefully, only been aware of this problem in the last few months when WASP sent me a photo of raw sewage in the Evenlode.

It seems to ne a multi-headed problem: the water companies should not have been privatised as profit should not come into it.

The law that allows companies to let sewage flow into rivers in 'exceptional circumstances is obviously a bad law as a) 'exceptional circumstances' becomes, in practise, 'any time they like'. b) The plants should be able to cope under ANY circumstances and if they can't they should be upgraded, using some of the immense profit that Thames Water and others are making.

Keep writing and push this issue nearer to the top of the government's agenda

Wed 26 May 2021, 08:51

Signed. Thank you Gareth.

Wed 26 May 2021, 07:51

The good people at WASP have circulated this Parliamentary petition which is worth considering signing.  Its purpose is to give the Environment Agency adequate resources to challenge sewage pollution by Thames Water.

Wed 14 Apr 2021, 09:21

The Earthwatch charity is seeking citizen water quality monitors for next month: see https://freshwaterwatch.thewaterhub.org/?fbclid=IwAR2F5RMRVnfCpuM0XuLvvZ7WiDAJK2JJb5xNf5TYES66xoGxMlW8U6JEm7w
They welcome volunteers from the Thames Valley.

Tue 13 Apr 2021, 22:00

With very low water levels for the time of year - and bright sunshine - just now you can see more deeply into the river than you might expect (polaroid lenses help).  Fun for kids too. Not all gloom & doom, some useful weed visible in places in the main channel, even a few aquatic flies hatching. 

But - you knew there was going to be one! - visible in some of the margins is what looks like a build up of just the kind of sewage fungus shown in last night's Panorama - and rushes etc not sprouting as I'd expect.  I'm not expert enough to tell - but fortunately know some people who are!  Watch this space...

And also - no fish in the area just below where the mill stream joins the main flow.  There usually are some, they may return, a single visual observation doeth not a survey make....

See Debate section for wider issues.

Mon 12 Apr 2021, 20:31

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vk71

WASP was featured heavily.

Mon 12 Apr 2021, 20:20 (last edited on Tue 13 Apr 2021, 12:14)

If you didn't see the programme, no doubt available on iplayer.  Am sorely tempted to ask, now do you believe it?!  But that would be unfair...  I may well pick this up again in the Debate section - when the red mist has settled!

Added 13/04 - red mist still swirling but see Debate under CUTE!

Mon 12 Apr 2021, 18:28 (last edited on Mon 12 Apr 2021, 20:18)

Panorama tonight 7.35!

Thu 8 Apr 2021, 17:35 (last edited on Thu 8 Apr 2021, 18:47)

Our very own Mr Courts said "As a passionate conservationist, I take a deep interest in our natural environment ....." here    Too much to dredge re Charlbury.  Has he acted on our behalf?

Rod Evans said "and had no more than an acknowledgement from him when I wrote to him to say why."  I wrote on this page in mid September 2020 on that topic.

Plenty going on in 2020 here.  August 2019 here.  That includes:

Thu 1 Aug 2019, Russell Robson said:

 "All the way up the Evenlode catchment yours, and your neighbours waste is discharged into the river, together with that of cows, sheep, frogs, fish and waterfowl."

Similar comment elsewhere on that page.

Evenlode  Wiki

Thu 8 Apr 2021, 16:48

See previous posts etc last year under the heading CUTE! Which of course stands for

Clean Up The Evenlode! 

For personal reasons I ceased working on this topic last summer.  Don't know yet if, when or how I may get involved again but Ian Botham (a well known angler who was once quite good at cricket!) is far from alone in his concerns - see here:  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/31/water-firms-discharged-raw-sewage-into-english-waters-400000-times-last-year

This is obviously much more than just a local issue - but you may like to know that Thames Water were officially responsible last year for 215,886 hours of flows of untreated sewage into our rivers.  I say 'officially' because it is widely believed that far more goes in than is officially recorded, not to mention run-offs from agriculture and untreated surface water that flows in directly. 

If you want to know more locally check out / get involved with the Evenlode Catchment Partnership and Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP) - there are many other active groups, some campaigning, some more evidence gathering (vital for effective action), both local and national.  Our very own Mr Courts MP has had some local involvement too - but I think the Debate section is the place to write about that as I have no faith at all in the Government getting things back on track via the current Environment Bill - and had no more than an acknowledgement from him when I wrote to him to say why.

Thu 8 Apr 2021, 16:02

Ian Botham has written an interesting article. 

What is the state of our waters?

I have seen bathers in the river near the cricket pitch (September).