We live on the ‘Water Planet’. This precious resource is all around us,
spanning the globe via our oceans and waterways, elemental to the air we breathe, and a key component (directly or indirectly) of all that lives on earth.
It is fundamental to sustaining life on this planet – yet we mistreat it.
When did it become acceptable within a western society for untreated sewerage to be released into our waterways, seas and rivers?
We send ‘donations’ to charities focussed on poor water quality in third world countries, yet here in the UK, on our doorstep, our water companies and other parties are polluting our shores and waterways by releasing untreated sewerage along our coast or into our rivers. Those same waters where people swim and where many elements of our food chain develop. The campaign ‘Sewer-Rage’ has been created by a small group of individuals based on Romney Marsh in response to the downgrading of the sea bathing water quality along the beautiful Marsh coastline in Kent. This is adjacent to the world-renowned English Channel. ‘Poor’ quality bathing water has a direct and very negative impact on Public Health, on our precious and sensitive natural environment and on our Tourism Economy.
This Treaty outlines the campaign’s focus – at a local level, and at a wider, national level. It aims in to implement changes to the current practice being undertaken by water companies to release untreated sewerage into our waterways, to ensure a tightening of legislative guidelines, and encourage better enforcement and overview of the industry.
The ultimate aim is to ensure that not a drop of untreated sewerage is released at any time into our waterways. Fundamentally, we are urging everyone to ‘Treat the water well’.
Local Aims (Micro Focus)
Short term:
- STOP all untreated sewerage being pumped into the sea and waterways.
- PROMOTE the establishment of a District Steering Group involving Southern Water, the Environment Agency, the Romney Marsh Internal Drainage Board, elected Councillors and officers from Folkestone & Hythe District Council, Kent County Council, and community representatives. The Steering Group will meet monthly and be tasked with developing and subsequently monitoring an action plan for water quality improvement in the local area.
- ENSURE the Environment Agency and Southern Water identify the source of pollution into the New Sewer which releases onto the St Mary’s Bay & the Littlestone-on-Sea beaches.
- PUBLICISE the need for weekly independent water sampling all year round at all Romney Marsh beaches.
- ENSURE that real-time data on local water quality is produced for all Marsh beaches throughout the year.
- HIGHLIGHT the need for regular maintenance and dredging of the drainage ditches, especially those in populated areas to reduce storm water entering the local wastewater treatment plant.
- PROMOTE the need for investment in the New Romney wastewater treatment plant.
- INCREASE the capacity of the storm overflow tanks at the New Romney wastewater treatment plant so all wastewater is treated before discharge.
- ENCOURAGE transparent communication between Southern Water, the Environment Agency, the Romney Marsh Internal Drainage Board with the wider community.
- REDUCE the number of properties in the local urban area not connected to mains drainage.
- ENCOURAGE engagement by the local community to help lobby to improve the quality of the bathing water at the beaches.
- PEACEFULLY protest to raise awareness of the pollution of our waterways and effect positive change.
Medium term:
- REDUCE the number of tankers transporting wastewater from other areas to New Romney, and Hythe’s wastewater treatment plants.
- PROMOTE the need for UV treatment at Hythe’s Range Road wastewater treatment plant.
- ENCOURAGE reassess the need for investment in the installation of a Long Shore Outfall at Littlestone-on-Sea.
- ENSURE Southern Water invest in the re-lining of the sewers across Romney Marsh
- ENCOURAGE a change in guidelines to ensure that sampling of water (and subsequent publication of the results) by the Environment Agency is obligatory both during and after spills.
Long term:
- PROMOTE the need for Southern Water to be a statutory consultee on all local planning applications.
- ENCOURAGE a change in legislation to remove the ‘four-year average bathing quality’ rule so that improvements in bathing quality water can be reported annually as sampling improves.
National Aims (Macro Focus)
ENCOURAGE a change in key legislation (whether that be via Statute or Statutory Instrument) to:
- Ensure tighter controls surrounding the release of ALL sewerage (treated and untreated) into our seas and rivers.
- Impose legal permits for discharges of storm overflows.
- Impose regular mandatory monitoring (and associated water quality evaluation) of every wastewater outlet in the UK throughout the year.
- Proffer greater powers and associated investment to the relevant regulatory bodies (currently OFWAT and CWW) to facilitate improvements in the oversight and monitoring of every water company’s performance.
- Improve the enforcement of the legislative guidelines that govern the water industry and promote the creation of a chain of accountability in the event of failures by any water industry related company or body.
- Give greater power (and associated investment) to the Environment Agency to monitor the activity and effect of all wastewater releases.
- Ensure that the water companies are designated statutory consultees in all medium and large planning applications that come before every local planning authority and that those companies are duty bound to respond
- Create an overarching legal (and by implication ‘moral’) duty for the water companies to prioritise investment in the failing infrastructure.
PROMOTE THE AIM to develop and improve the water industry related infrastructure to ensure that not a drop of untreated sewerage is released at any time into our waterways.
Remove the option to re-designate an area from Bathing Water to Non Bathing Water.
E&OE
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