Sewage in the Solent/Hamble.

[TiggerToo]

A few weeks ago we were in Salcombe watching brown froth float past every 6 hours, which I later had to wash off of the dinghy. You should be thankful you only smelled something. The children (and presumably parents) swimming at the entrance to the harbour were oblivious, it's only further up you can see it.

I was there, swimming in it a couple of weeks ago.

I am not sure, but I think this was not "raw sewage": it looked and smelled more like microbial growth favoured by 1) warm conditions, 2) abundant agricultural discharges from the surrounding fields (fertilisers, mostly, I suspect).

Not that this is necessarily better. But I would be reluctant to Cry Wolf on this one, without the data. Plenty of positively identified sewage discharges elsewhere.

 

[TiggerToo]

This thread is clearly Political AND Current Affairs.

Threads like this should be retained and pinned up at the top.

 

[lustyd]

I was there, swimming in it a couple of weeks ago.

I am not sure, but I think this was not "raw sewage": it looked and smelled more like microbial growth favoured by 1) warm conditions, 2) abundant agricultural discharges from the surrounding fields (fertilisers, mostly, I suspect).

Not that this is necessarily better. But I would be reluctant to Cry Wolf on this one, without the data. Plenty of positively identified sewage discharges elsewhere.

Having cleaned it off the dinghy I guarantee it wasn’t microbial growth. Not necessarily discharged from sewers but that harbour is definitely full of crap and I wouldn’t consider it safe or pleasant for swimming.

 

[newtothis]

It should Bea public service and if need be more tax raised to pay for the service if need be.

I'll happily pay more for it if it is renationalised and the money is invested in the company and not sent to shareholders and executive bonuses.

 

[lustyd]

Raw sewage in our rivers Shows the discharges and Salcombe has had a few

 

[Fantasie 19]

Quite smelly in Chichester Harbour today...

I'm not interested in arguing the toss about sewage - it's an issue in the harbour - but to be fair these are the first spring tides after a period of the hottest weather we've ever had, and that may explain the smell.. ???

 

[TiggerToo]

Raw sewage in our rivers Shows the discharges and Salcombe has had a few

Might be heading there this weekend...
Might have to reconsider the swim...
It was pretty mucky. But the majority of the floating stuff was mud lifting off the seabed due to bacterial activity.
In some places, the bubbles emerging from under the sediment were massive. I would have loved to have had a GC to analyse them - I can imagine there would be quite a bit of methane.

Anyhow... off sailing in a short while

 

[ashtead]

Listed you don’t only have this delight in salcombe although another good reason not to visit as emsworth has same issue I heard

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

This issue has a direct impact on those who enjoy the sea. The Water Directive for waste water treatment was adopted in 1991 to protect the water environment from the adverse effects of discharges of urban waste water and from certain industrial discharges. All EU member countries have to comply with this regulatory directive for the benefit of the environment and in particular the sea Environment.
Unfortunately for all, the UK does not have to comply with the Water Directive any more because we are not in EU, and water companies are "allowed" to discharge untreated wastewater collected from the combined sewer overflows systems. The government does not have any intention of penalising the Water Companies.
The Water companies are getting away with murder, bearing in mind that the average salary of water companies managing directors/CEO's is £2,500,000 per year excluding expenses and bonuses. The UK is going backwards in regard to the Environment, Science, Health, Security, Research and in many other areas; the Millennials and the Gen Z will soon reverse all these.......

 

[Wansworth]

U

This issue has a direct impact on those who enjoy the sea. The Water Directive for waste water treatment was adopted in 1991 to protect the water environment from the adverse effects of discharges of urban waste water and from certain industrial discharges. All EU member countries have to comply with this regulatory directive for the benefit of the environment and in particular the sea Environment.
Unfortunately for all, the UK does not have to comply with the Water Directive any more because we are not in EU, and water companies are "allowed" to discharge untreated wastewater collected from the combined sewer overflows systems. The government does not have any intention of penalising the Water Companies.
The Water companies are getting away with murder, bearing in mind that the average salary of water companies managing directors/CEO's is £2,500,000 per year excluding expenses and bonuses. The UK is going backwards in regard to the Environment, Science, Health, Security, Research and in many other areas; the Millennials and the Gen Z will soon reverse all these.......

where are you taking your hols?

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

U
where are you taking your hols?

not in the UK

 

[hurley]

It should Bea public service and if need be more tax raised to pay for the service if need be.

Absolutely...tax the profiteering water companies and their highly paid CEOs and reduce shareholders dividends especially those who funnel profits to offshore accounts. Or alternatively we could change our voting habits at the next GE.

 

[hurley]

This issue has a direct impact on those who enjoy the sea. The Water Directive for waste water treatment was adopted in 1991 to protect the water environment from the adverse effects of discharges of urban waste water and from certain industrial discharges. All EU member countries have to comply with this regulatory directive for the benefit of the environment and in particular the sea Environment.
Unfortunately for all, the UK does not have to comply with the Water Directive any more because we are not in EU, and water companies are "allowed" to discharge untreated wastewater collected from the combined sewer overflows systems. The government does not have any intention of penalising the Water Companies.
The Water companies are getting away with murder, bearing in mind that the average salary of water companies managing directors/CEO's is £2,500,000 per year excluding expenses and bonuses. The UK is going backwards in regard to the Environment, Science, Health, Security, Research and in many other areas; the Millennials and the Gen Z will soon reverse all these.......

Ah those "sunlit uplands" !

 

[RJJ]

Not enough to hurt, or rather, it hurts the wrong people "Sorry customers, times are hard, we need to put our prices up.

I'd put a 5 year plan on them, working towards taking fines for discharges out of the Directors' salaries, and zero bonus for directors in any year where there's any discharge for less than a 100 year rainstorm. "Sorry, our pump broke." "Sorry, your bonus broke" I've no objection to good directorship getting good pay, but not self-serving ones who are only good at bleeding the company.

Maybe stick it to the shareholders too, as they're the ones benefitting from the current lack of investment.

On the right track. The problem is your scheme allows the directors to make out like bandits in good years. Once you have taken your 2m for three years (on top of your successful career earnings to date) "losing" your 2m in year 4 is immaterial.

But what you need is the following.

Profits must be retained for five years and ring-fenced for investment. Regulator must set (continuously improving) targets for leak, availability and spill reduction. As you imply, the company must deliver 99pc performance in 99pc of statistically reasonable weather conditions.

If targets achieved, then profits can be distributed and bonuses paid. Up to the s/h and board to decide scale of bonuses. 500k or 50m is nobody else's businesses. If not then the regulator gets to appoint a skilled person to direct the investment of retained earnings in fixing what went wrong or expanding capacity.