Stop dumping raw sewage into the river Evenlode

Wed 25 May 2022, 21:37

Politics: If you voted for the Conservative and Unionist Party since 1979, then this is a consequence (there are others) of that decision. I would suggest writing (a very English form of protest) to our local MP, again and again and again. I think a Canadian teachers pension fund is a major shareholder in Thames Water. Teachers are reasonable and understanding professionals who are probably unaware of how their pension funds are being used/mis-used, so alerting them to this problem, may have a greater effect than writing to our MP. Direct action ( comme les Francais/se) might achieve more than the use of social media which, as stated can be deleted or ignored , a bit dated and a US TV report 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-sk0LQmbWM

Wed 25 May 2022, 21:05

In the Guardian today:

Only one bathing river spot around Oxford has bacteria within safe levels, study finds

"One site on a small brook downstream of Church Hanborough sewage treatment works was consistently 50 times the level safe for bathing, even when the treatment works was not overflowing and apparently treating the sewage, the study found."

Wed 26 Jan 2022, 11:12

Thames [Water] said Bentley would be paid £750,000 a year in the role, with a maximum annual bonus of 120 per cent of salary, and a long-term incentive plan with an annual award up to a maximum of 200 per cent of salary.

Work that one out. Eye-watering! Nice work if you can get it.

Tue 25 Jan 2022, 23:30

Oooh. Lookie here!!

https://utilityweek.co.uk/thames-water-appoints-new-ceo/

Mon 24 Jan 2022, 06:16

Michele, personally I find it instructive to place the words of an organisation such as Thames Water alongside their actions. I venture to suggest that this reaction is commensurate with the discharge of male bovine sewage ...

... in other words, BS.

Sat 22 Jan 2022, 10:57

Here’s the response from TVW to my post on their fb page:

Hi Michele, our shareholders are in it for the long term, and have not taken a dividend for four years to prioritise investment in improving service for customers and to protect the environment. We regard all discharges of untreated sewage as unacceptable and will work with the relevant organisations to accelerate work to stop them being necessary and are determined to be transparent. This will take time and sadly isn't an overnight fix but our ambition is clear. Hope that helps - Akhil

Fri 21 Jan 2022, 15:25

Here's the EB scene -- brilliant stuff from JR:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGX4nMrnxg0

Fri 21 Jan 2022, 14:37

Charlie I've just copied and pasted your message on to the TW FB page. I'm timing it to see how fast they take it down? Could we all continually post the same thing and see what kind of traffic it generates, or how much time their social media people have to spend taking them down?

And I like your idea about bigwigs drinking the water -- it reminds me of Erin Brockovich

Fri 21 Jan 2022, 14:28 (last edited on Fri 21 Jan 2022, 14:30)

Two days ago, I posted the following message on Thames Water's Facebook Page:
"Thames Water, the message I posted this morning seems to have been removed, so I shall post it again. I await your answers:
Hello Thames Water.I have three questions:

1) How much did you pay your shareholders in the last financial year?

2) What are you going to do about this? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60040162

3) In view of 2) above, WHY should I pay my Water Rates, if all you do is pollute our rivers?

I require IN-DEPTH ANSWERS to ALL THREE QUESTIONS. Please do not put some silly little "Jason" on with platitudes. Thank you."

My original message was deleted. So was my re-posting of it. So I then re-posted it on what I shall refer to as a "local page", whereupon I was contacted by one of the Admins, who informed me that regretfully he could not allow my post because Thames Water have a policy of threatening people who administer pages with derogatory (my description!) comments about them with legal action. 

So now we know. Thames Water are vicious. And in denial about the sewage pouring into our rivers.

Incidentally, I did manage to post my post "somewhere relevant" ... I will not say where, because that would help Thames Water, if they were ever to read this! 

To conclude, I have a revolutionary suggestion (which I've also posted!) ...

... Just suppose if every customer of every water company had the right to demand that a Director of their water company must drink a glass of water from anywhere in that company's "jurisdiction" that the customer demands?!?!

Somehow I think they'd clean it up rather quickly!

Fri 21 Jan 2022, 14:14

There’s a *very very* disturbing article in The Guardian website yesterday about the disillusionment of the staff who are basically being told not to prosecute flagrant breaches of regulations and dumping of shyte and chemicals into the environment. Worth reading. 

Fri 21 Jan 2022, 13:27 (last edited on Fri 21 Jan 2022, 13:32)

An excellent feature on R4's Today programme this morning, with 'local heroes' Prof Hammond and Vaughan Lewis (who I believe are both involved also with the Evenlode Catchment Partnership) from WASP and others, highlightiing sewage outflows in particular at Casssington.  The whole subject is at last gaining traction.  The government's response so far I consider wholly inadequate, however much Mr Courts sings its praises.  Letting your MP know your concerns can only add to the pressure. 

Fri 14 Jan 2022, 11:23 (last edited on Fri 14 Jan 2022, 11:23)

And see here:  https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/160246/eac-water-quality-rivers-report-published

with the headline: 

‘Chemical cocktail’ of sewage, slurry and plastic polluting English rivers puts public health and nature at risk

But at least it's getting some attention - if not as much as "work meetings" in No 10's garden.

Mon 10 Jan 2022, 15:22

Signed etc.  This problem has been building up over many years - see earlier posts headed CUTE! among many others.  I credit Mr Courts for having a genuine interest in the topic - but not his government for its failure to tackle it via the Environment Bill.  Personally I doubt very much that TW's figures are accurate (see also WASP's website).  It's a complicated issue - not to mention a political one - but with a simple truth behind it: that as long as it costs the water companies less to pollute than to clean up their act they will go on doing it.  Far more is needed than the (very) occasional prosecution for major incidents. 

Sun 9 Jan 2022, 16:31

I saw that too Nicola, you beat me to it. The friend is actually a river swimmer so I suspect that this information doesn't make entering the water so appealing.

Sun 9 Jan 2022, 11:05

well, I suspect she was feeling dismayed & depressed and decided to express herself poetically

Sun 9 Jan 2022, 00:17

Is your friend feeling okay? Or just really, really bored?

Sat 8 Jan 2022, 11:37

a friend wrote this poem over Christmas:

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

(The Water Company that Keeps on Giving)

On the first day of Christmas, Thames Water sent to me tidings of a sewage spill at Witney

On the second day of Christmas, Thames Water sent to me microplastic sludge and…

Long post - click to read full text

Sat 8 Jan 2022, 10:57

Signed, but curious to know why the email to confirm my email address was in German!

Sat 8 Jan 2022, 07:28

Signed and posted so on here, to keep this on the front page of the Forum!

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 17:05

Signed with  a nasty message about the ownership/management  and texted  and emailed extensively!

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 16:46

Signed and posted on FB

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 14:53

Thanks Lydia done

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 13:15

Thanks Lidia - signed and shared. 

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 13:06

Thank you, Lidia!

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 12:41

Signed and tweeted.

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 11:24

Many thanks for starting this petition, Lidia, I've signed this too. River pollution post Brexit will only increase - it is an absolute tragedy. The Evenlode is such a beautiful river.

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 11:10

I have also signed. I recently made a complaint about this very issue on Thames Water's Facebook page, whereupon I was contacted by the usual vacuous company moron to ask if I was complaining about a new pollution incident, and would I message him privately, to which I replied that this is a general complaint of many months' standing that had been on the national TV News (which it has), and that I would not take it to a private message because the public needed to see this very important dialogue. I was then told that unless I could give an exact location of where the outflow was occurring, they could do nothing. I think they then deleted my posts, because I have not found them again.

Utterly farcical. Maybe if everyone withheld their Water Rates, that might apply some pressure? 

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 10:03

Thank you Lidia, I have signed. Hopefully it will make a difference.

Fri 7 Jan 2022, 09:54 (last edited on Fri 7 Jan 2022, 09:56)

Thames Water Utilities Sewage Treatment Stations (STSs) routinely discharge large volumes of untreated sewage into the river Evenlode and its tributaries in order to protect their inadequate sewerage systems from overflowing. STSs hold Environment Agency permits to do so under exceptional circumstances of very severe rainstorms. But in practice TWU STSs spill raw sewage as often as they wish and they do this with near impunity. In 2020 they pumped untreated sewage into the Evenlode and its tributaries for 8710 hrs. This has devastating ecological consequences and adverse effects on human health. Yet, the recent environmental bill failed to make polluting rivers with untreated sewage illegal. Communities close to the Evenlode river will no longer tolerate these reckless and abhorant practices. We need strong local support to make TWU take their responsibilities, as a public service utilities company, seriously and to hold WODC to account for allowing developing large housing estates in the absence of any parallel plans to ensure sewerage systems expansion.

Please sign the petition: https://chng.it/TBKHWwvbxt

Dr Lidia Arciszewska, Church Hanborough resident