Sewage pollution talk by WASP, 13 April

Wed 5 Apr 2023, 23:04 (last edited on Thu 6 Apr 2023, 09:28)

I can only endorse all that Glena says – save that my acronym (following WASP’s example) was CUTE! for Clean Up The Evenlode!  Sadly, personal issues intervened so CUTE! never got beyond that – but now at last the issue is becoming high profile politically.

 As it should have done ages ago – but to begin with few people noticed – why would you?  Rivers have fascinated me and I’ve been an angler (a different debate ok) since childhood and I’m immensely lucky now to live next to one – it only took me 40 years!  So it was partly WASP and partly just watching the river decline that got me going.

 Getting on top of the problem will be complicated and expensive.  And untreated sewage is only part of it – our agricultural practices play a huge part as well (yet another debate!)  But there’s a simple truth – that as long as it costs the water companies less to pollute than not to, they will go on doing it.  Don’t be fooled by the recent announcements on that…..

 A little reminder.  The water companies have paid out over £70 BILLION in dividends since privatisation in 1989.  There is not one river in England that now meets good environmental standards.  Not one.  And in 2022, despite the drought, the recorded number of spills was 301,091 - assuming the figures are accurate.  If you haven’t already, do watch Attenborough’s Wild Isles on Freshwater - and Our Troubled Rivers - see Gareth's post below.

 The population of England & Wales in 1901 was 32 million.  By 2021 it was 59 million.  Yet the water companies and certain politicians have the gall to blame the Victorians for the inadequacy of the infrastructure!!  Oh, you mean they didn’t predict in1901 that the population would almost double in the next 120 years!  Not to mention the ever increasing demands of industry, agriculture etc.  How unbelievably stupid of them!! Oh and the water companies have only had responsibility for the last 33 years so how could it be their fault??

 You could come over all Greta Thunberg here couldn’t you?!  With a few added expletives along the way!  But I’ll stop.  Instead, as well as the event in Witney, WASP have offered to give presentations locally on the current state of play and what we can do about it.  ‘Like’ this post and let’s invite them….