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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

 

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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)

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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.
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Environment Agency Testing Update

Wetherby and Villages Clean River group was pleased to attend a meeting convened by Leeds City Council regarding the implications of achieving Bathing Water status for the river Wharfe in Wetherby.
Ward Councillors including Norma Harrington and Alan Lamb who have been working on this issue for the last few years attended. Claire Campbell from the Environment Agency gave an update as to the action and sampling which the Environment Agency undertake as a result of bathing water status. This sampling is done weekly from May 1 to September 30.
In November, a classification of the quality of the river water will be made, from excellent to poor. Do not be surprised if the quality is not as we would wish.
This classification will remain until the following year when it will be reviewed as a result of further weekly testing during the next bathing water season from May 1 to September 30.
WVCRG reported to the group of the work being done on the ongoing additional sampling project in which they are involved. All designated bathing water sites across the UK were invited to participate in a project with York University, Surfers against Sewage and Watershed Investigations. This project involved daily sampling of the river Wharfe at Wetherby to enable broader analysis of the pollutants in the river. These results will be shared as we receive them in the next few weeks.
WVCRG will continue to work to push for improvement in the quality of the river Wharfe for all its users and inhabitants. 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.
Residents are encouraged to report any pollution incidents which they see on the river Wharfe via the incident Hot Line for the EA. The number is 0800 807060.
River Wharfe Wetherby
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