Surfers Against Sewage’s Post

It's the first day of our new government Dear Prime Minister, you have the backing of the public to End Sewage Pollution - now it’s time to deliver! Labour has been set with tackling 604,833 sewage discharges in 2023 across the UK. 3.6 million hours of untreated sewage running into our rivers, lakes and seas in England alone. The largest ever investigation into criminal wrongdoing by water companies with five English companies in the frame. Thames Water on the brink of collapse and investors more widely are starting to consider water company holdings as toxic as the rivers they pollute. One thing is for sure, the public demand action. Our Policy Manager, Henry, takes a look at what we're expecting, where we'll be holding them to account, and where we need to push further. 👇 https://lnkd.in/eVNuBHUr #endsewagepollution #generalelection #surfersagainstsewage

It has been a busy few weeks in the UK Supreme Court on environmental issues. The latest judgment considers civil liability for water companies when sewer overflows do what they are designed for. With sewage pollution becoming an increasingly controversial issue, this judgment may have major implications. Follow the link below for some commentary on this important case. Any questions or views - do get in touch. #TLT #EnvironmentLaw

Yesterday, we went to the Houses of Parliament to represent people across the UK, calling for better for rivers and seas. Ahead of the UK general election, we are calling for all political parties to commit to working to #EndSewagePollution.   We know this can happen, but it will need 5 things from the government to make the UK's waters healthy and safe for people and nature. They must:   👮♀ Enforce the Law 🛑 Stop Pollution for Profit ♒ Prioritise High risk pollution 🌳 Empower a nature led approach 🗣 Reveal the truth https://lnkd.in/e3yC9pUU   The public want better, now its time for politicians to act.   #EndSewagePollution #ESPmanifesto Surfers Against Sewage

When you get the opportunity to speak to your prospective parliamentary candidates, ask them if they’ll personally be pushing the adoption of the Surfers Against Sewage #EndSewagePollutionManifesto? Ask them if pollution in our rivers and seas matters to them, ask them if they’re content to allow water companies to continue #pollutingforprofit and paying out massive dividends to shareholders instead of investing in infrastructure? Make a judgement based upon their answers, if you like what they say, drop them an email to confirm their position. If you’re minded to lend them your vote and they get elected, then write to them again reminding them of their commitments and why you chose them to represent you as your MP. Once they’re in Parliament, hold them to account with vigour, your vote is one of the most valuable things you have right now, ensure that they understand the trust and the investment that you have made in them, not their party. This is not a campaign for right or left, this is a battle for right or wrong, please ensure that your chosen candidate understands the value of you vote! Vote for cleaner rivers and oceans, free from shit, it’s the most powerful thing we’ve got………….! #sewagescandal #sickofsewage #generalelection

Underfunding our Water Infrastructure can have negative consequences and, in this case, its the discharge of raw sewage into the water environment. The funding decisions made and the structures and processes created all affect the outcomes received. Therefore, we need a mature debate on how we better protect our water environment going forward and properly fund the associated infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

Election time is an opportunity to ask politicians some hard questions and garner support for issues around the Country. Pressures like housing, health, climate and crime are top of the pile. The poor rivers get forgotten about. This time we would ask you to bring the health of our watercourses to the attention of the visiting politicians, when they come looking for your vote. Without the river there is no water for Dublin. Without the river there is no wastewater treatment in Kildare. Without any drinking water or wastewater treatment there is no development – no housing. The Liffey flows through a few constituencies, West Wicklow, Kildare South, Kildare North, Dublin Mid West and Dublin Central. This is a tricky one for politicians because individuals from the same party have different needs for the Liffey, so they’d prefer for it not to be an issue. Dublin politicians want all the drinking water, with no hassle, except that the water is mainly in Wicklow or Kildare, and the main Water Treatment Plant is in Kildare. Dublin’s water is at Kildare’s pollution expense. Wicklow politicians want Blessington to grow into a major town but it has nowhere sustainable to discharge it’s wastewater. It currently discharges into County Kildare, so Kildare’s politicians should be protecting the Liffey from such unsustainable discharges. Leixlip wastewater impacts significantly on West Dublin’s Lucan and so on. Water is taken for granted, and the River Liffey certainly is, but without it, nothing else happens. It’s now beyond its limits, no matter what the politicians might say, so from an infrastructure perspective we need to know what’s next.  Uisce Eireann may have a certain amount of autonomy in all this but make no mistake that the policiticans have the final say. Don't be fobbed off or the Liffey reservoirs will be the next Lough Neagh.

16% OF WATER COURSES - 14% OF RIVERS - MEET REGULATIONS Our water is polluted and filthy in England. Anglers won an important legal case recently to force the government to clean up our water. The previous government wanted to appeal this ruling! They wanted to do NOTHING! This government has until January 2025 to either agree or go to appeal! Recently Lake Windrmere was polluted by United Utilities illegally, over a short period of time, with tons of raw sewage. Water companies do NOT care. Whether you angle or not, this is an important petition that NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT. Please, sign this petition that asks the government to act, as NO GOVERNMENT has done for decades, rather than waste more time and money on a legal challenge! Please use this link to ask the government to meet their electoral pledge to clean up our water, https://chng.it/BWPXmkqHRh Save our planet for younger generations, NOW. Stop the s**t, NOW! #waterpollution #utilityservices #angling #pollution

3 questions to ask your local candidates about their plans for our ocean and rivers: 1️⃣ What will you personally do to stop water users like me from getting sick when we use our favourite local spots? 2️⃣ In 2023 Water companies discharged untreated sewage at least 588,205 times across the UK. What will your party do to make sure water companies don’t get away with breaking the law and profiting from pollution? 3️⃣ The system isn't working. What are your and your party's plans to reform the system to ensure water companies put human health and the environment first? The general election could be a turning point for our ocean and rivers! #SurfersAgainstSewage #OceanActivists #VoteOcean

📢Whoever the next government, one of the first things on their to-do list must be ending the sewage scandal. And an overwhelming majority of the British public agree.📢 Our wild waters are being horrifically abused. Only a public inquiry will be able to carve it's way through the debris of decades of neglect and lift the lid on the full slimy detail of the entrenched profiteering practices of industry and the failures of government and regulators. 🚨That's why we commissioned a survey from YouGov to find out if the British public agreed. The answer - overwhelmingly yes. 82% support the next government setting up a public inquiry into the discharge of raw sewage into rivers and seas.🚨 Our poll also revealed the level of public distrust in politicians to deal with the issue of sewage pollution, with well over half (59%) saying they wouldn’t trust most or any of our politicians to tackle the problem, and almost one third (31%) saying they wouldn’t trust any politicians to address the issue. These shocking levels of mistrust show why the next cohort of MPs must use this opportunity to restore public trust by taking action to tackle sewage pollution and deliver on the clear demand for a public inquiry. #voteocean #endsewagepolution