Author: Webmaster

Posted on

Independent Water Commission needs to move quickly to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas

Press Release issued by ICRG:

1. There is no question the whole water system needs an overhaul. Monopoly privatisation with weak regulation has let rip a pollution for profit model, which no amount of Water (Special Measures) Bill tinkering will fix. The public is already paying off eye-watering company debt and dividends is costing us here in Yorkshire 23% of our bills, with no environmental or service improvement.
2. We welcome the Commision as long as it includes scrutiny of all the models of ownership so that we go from the poorest performing water system in Europe to amongst the best. The aim must be to radically improve the water quality of our rivers, lakes and seas whilst securing best value for the bill payer.
Currently we have one of the highest customer bills in Europe but also lag behind in water quality (Prof Ewan McGaughey 2024). At the same time every water company is under criminal investigation by Ofwat and the EA for illegal activity.
image.png
3. Our rivers, lakes and seas can’t wait. The Commission will take time. Meanwhile the government is sitting on existing legislation, which if enacted will stop pollution of our waterways outside of exceptional circumstances. The government needs to rigorously enforce the law now. Without this it is subjecting our waters to years more pollution, whilst the customer continues to pay water companies debt without getting the investment our rivers, lakes and seas need. Here in Yorkshire shareholders have invested less than zero since privitisation in 1990, whilst extracting nearly £10 billion (David Hall 2024). This has to stop now.
4. Against this backdrop of failure of the current system the Water (Special Measures) Bill makes provision for public bailout of failing companies by requiring water companies to raise money for debt from customers, a complete betrayal of the duty to protect customers of monopoly companies providing something that no-one can give up – water. This means yet again the public is paying for profiteering.  We have provided an amendment that  ‘instructs the Secretary of State and HM Treasury to not bail-out the shareholders or creditors of any water company’.
“Campaign groups from across the country are outraged that the public and bill payers continue to pay for water company failure with no prospect of a clean up in time to save our rivers, lakes and seas from the devastating effects of sewage pollution.” Prof Becky Malby, Ilkley Clean River Group
Notes
  1. You can find a briefing on our broken sewage system provided to all MPs here
  2. Ilkley Clean River Group has been campaigning for 5 years to stop the sewage pollution of the River Wharfe
  3. The Sewage Campaign Network with the assistance of Prof Ewan McGaughey, Professor of Law at Kings College University, London, have provided a set of amendments to protect the public from further exploitation from the broken water industry.
  4. Ilkley Clean River Group is a founding member of The Sewage Campaign Network:Henley Mermaids, Ilkley Clean River Group, Save Windermere, SOS Whitstable, and Windrush Against Sewage Pollution are a network of leading grassroots campaigners steeped in our local communities, trying to save our rivers, lakes and seas from sewage pollution; and the founders of the current massive public storm. Our coalition consists of the forerunners in the campaign to stop sewage pollution, passionate community members committed to safeguarding rivers, lakes, and coastlines from pollution.  We have not been captured, we don’t take money from government, regulators or the water companies; we are truly independent. We take pride in our integrity. We have found that in order to save our local waters, we have had to step up and challenge the whole water system, campaigning to get the law enforced. We are also mobilising hundreds of community campaign groups like ours, providing briefings, educational sessions, supporting the practicalities of water testing, campaigning and lobbying. Each group within the network operates independently, but we speak as one, channeling the public’s outrage at pollution for profit.
  5. Ilkley Clean River Group secured the first river to be awarded Bathing Status. The river is persistently rated poor water quality and the Status is up for renewal in 2025. If it remains poor the river will be ‘de-designated’ by Defra
  6. The campaign has secured some investment from Yorkshire Water with a new Sewer in Ilkley, and there is a plan to clean up the river currently going through the Ofwat PR24 process.
Contact
Karen Shackleton 07312112061
Prof Becky Malby 07974777309
Posted on

Guardian article about putting water companies into Special Administration

Thames Water and other failing water companies should be placed into special administration to allow the government to tackle much-needed reforms to the industry, campaigners say.

Triggering special administration would put Thames and other failing companies in government control, removing company directors and ending the dividends paid to shareholders. The companies could then be transferred to new owners who could be publicly owned or controlled.

The campaigners include Save Windermere, Ilkley Clean River Group, Surfers Against Sewage, Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, SOS Whitstable and River Action.

You can read the whole Guardian article here

 

Posted on

Message from Professor Becky Malby of ICRG

The attached and below has gone to all MPs and all campaign groups in our network. Please do follow-up with your MP or pass onto anyone you think would be interested.

Many thanks

Prof Becky Malby

 

To All MPs

Dear all

Briefing on securing clean rivers, lakes and seas. 

At the drop-in hosted by Clive Lewis recently, MPs taking part asked us for a simple briefing on the key issues we face nationally in securing clean rivers, lakes and seas. 

Please find attached a briefing from Ilkley Clean River Group, Save Windermere, SOS Whitstable, Windrush Against Sewage, Henley Mermaids, River Action and Surfers AgAinst Sewage. We hope this answers any questions you may have, but if you do need more information please do reply to this email address. 

Water (Special Measures) Bill

Please also find attached four amendments to the water (Special Measures) Bill that strengthen the bill to ensure customers and the environment are protected and address the weakness in regulation. 

We propose amendments to the bill:

  1. Put failing water companies into special administration
  2. Stop public bailout of the water industry (the bill allows for public bailout).
  3. Reform the duties of Ofwat to be for clean water, conservation and regional bills. This brings English water regulation up to the standards of, and improves upon, the Water (Scotland) Act 1980 section 1 (The Bill puts growth before the environment. ).
  4. Put employees and bill payers on the Boards of water companies. This reflects the normal practice in most wealthier OECD countries for large companies.

We have had the assistance of Prof Ewan McGaughey, Professor of Law at King’s College University, London, in drafting the attached clauses and explanatory notes.

Prof Becky Malby, Ilkley Clean River Group
Matt Staniek, Save Windermere
Sal Burtt Jones, SOS Whitstable
Ashley Smith, Windrush Against Sewage

Amendments to the Water (Special Measures) Bill 28.09.2024

Briefing on Key Issues to Secure Clean Rivers Lakes and Seas Sept 2024 (1)

Posted on

Cleaning up our rivers lakes and seas the answers

Message from Ilkley Clean River Group to all who came on World Rivers Day to the conference, and those who didn’t make it…

Thank you so much for being so fully engaged on the day. We have already been lobbied to have this as an annual event!
The blog has been updated with:
  1. Speakers slides (on the resources page)*
  2. Conference Poll results (on the Poll page)
  3. Conference photos (if you have any you would like to add pop them over)
  4. Messages from the conference – please do have a look as we are sure you have more to add….. This will be updated this week so we look forward to hearing from you and do come back to see the updates.
If anyone is not on our irregular national email updates (literally when we hear things we post them out) and wants to be let us know.
It also includes download links to speakers’ notes too.
Posted on

Cleaning up our Rivers, Lakes and Seas – The Answers event

Yesterday we attended the “Ilkley River Group cleaning up our Rivers, Lakes and Seas – The Answers event”.

It was great to listen to the speakers and see the data, which was difficult viewing at times.

However, cause for optimism as the solutions have started to come forward and food for thought on how we can replicate the success seen in Ilkley!

Thank you to the team at Ilkley Clean River Group for putting on such a wonderful event.

Posted on

Presentation about the River Wharfe at the Wetherby Festival

There will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the state of
the river in an event ‘The River Wharfe – Liquid Eden’ during the
forthcoming Wetherby Festival which opens on Friday, 4th and runs
until the 12th.

Mark Barrow, who has featured in many TV reports and documentary
programmes, will be appearing at the Festival on Wednesday, 9th
Oct. at 8pm. You can find details and book on the Festival website

The Festival, now in its fifth decade, is a great part of our lovely
community. There is a wonderful programme in place. You will find
more at www.wetherbyfestival.co.uk/whats-on.

Posted on

Better Wetherby September 2024 Newsletter

This report featured in the BW September newsletter:

Linda Richards and other members of Wetherby and Villages Clean River group (WVCRG) recently attended a meeting convened by Leeds City Council regarding the implications of achieving Bathing Water status for the River Wharfe in Wetherby. Claire Campbell from the Environment Agency gave an update as to the action and sampling which the Agency undertake as a result of bathing water status. This sampling is done weekly from May 1 to September 30. It is expected that, in November, a classification (from excellent to poor) of the quality of the river water in Wetherby will be made. It is noted that the River Wharfe bathing quality at Ilkley, some 20 miles upstream, has been classified as “poor” for the last 3 years.

WVCRG is also involved in an ongoing additional sampling project with York University. All designated bathing water sites across the UK were invited to participate, along with Surfers against Sewage and Watershed Investigations. This project involved daily sampling of the Wharfe at Wetherby to enable broader analysis of the pollutants in the river.

WVCRG is continuing to push for improvement in the quality of the river. Achieving the water status has raised the profile of water quality with Leeds City Council and they now engage positively on this issue. Signage will be available regarding the water quality not only on the bathing site but possibly elsewhere. People are encouraged to report any pollution incidents on the river via the incident hotline for the Environment Agency – 0800 807060.

Posted on

Cleaning up our Rivers, Lakes and Seas – The Answers

Ilkley Clean River Group

announce a meeting at Christchurch, The Grove, Ilkley on Sunday, 22nd September from 12:30pm till 16:30 titled:-

Cleaning up our Rivers, Lakes and Seas – The Answers

You can sign up here at Eventbrite for a free ticket:-

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cleaning-up-our-rivers-lakes-seas-the-answers-tickets-913536882407

and read more information along with an agenda.

If you are travelling from Wetherby by car you can park in the South Hawksworth Street Car Park.

Christchurch is a 4 minute walk away.

Proudly powered by WordPress