A boil notice remains in place for customers in the Higher Brixham, Southdown, Upton Manor and St Mary’s supply area, who are advised to continue to boil their drinking water before consuming it. South West Water last week lifted the boil notice for some affected customers. Properties in the Kingswear, Noss Marina, Hillhead Park and […]
A new report from EarthWatch Europe based on a citizen science blitz over the weekend of 7-10 June has found that: 75% of data points across the UK showed poor ecological health with significant regional variation. The Anglian and Thames regions have the worst water quality with up to 89% of data points showing poor ecological health. The Solway […]
The Liberal Democrats have announced a massive expansion of marine protected areas and a new Blue Flag status for rivers will be included in their general election manifesto. The plan would include legally binding targets to prevent sewage overflows discharging to those sites. The Telegraph, The Times and Independent reported on the Lib Dems’ pledge […]
A new report from the Royal Academy of Engineering (National Engineering Policy Centre) looks at the priorities for mitigating health risks from wastewater pollution. This report examines the interventions available to reduce the public health risks associated with using open waters for recreation that may be polluted with faecal organisms from human waste in sewage. […]
Following a recent consultation on charge proposals for water quality permits, the Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed that charges will increase significantly, especially for water companies. The proposals were covered in Water News in January. The EA has now published the outcome of the consultation, including the response summary, detailed summary of responses, list of respondents […]
Interesting piece in The Guardian highlighting a multiple approach to cleaning up the Seine in time for triathlon events at this summer’s Olympic Games. Approaches include Improving the performance of wastewater facilities Modernising the sewage system in order to separate rainwater and wastewater in a more systematic way Correct misconnections to the system, in which […]
The MailOnline tested water quality at 6 of England’s 27 new designated bathing spots. It revealed that 5 of them are riddled with E. coli bacteria that can cause stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea. According to the MailOnline, “one of the spots has so much of the faecal bacteria that swimmers have been told to […]
Climate change is worsening floods, droughts and is reducing water quality, posing an increasing threat to our health, according to a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report. Fast-tracking implementation and better coordination of efforts by governments, water authorities and healthcare providers are urgently needed to prevent and reduce health impacts. The EEA report ‘Responding to […]