Herefordshire Council's Attempt at Gaining a Special Protection of the Highly Polluted River Wye Blocked by a Government Minister

[Hereford Voice]

A government minister has rejected the council's bid to gain special protection for the polluted River Wye.

Herefordshire councillors voted to back bringing in a water protection zone (WPZ), which would place tighter restrictions on pollution sources.

But Rebecca Pow said it would lead to extra regulatory burdens compared "to businesses in other areas".

The river has had excessive algae growth often caused by high phosphate levels in the water.

In January, a full meeting of councillors voted unanimously to back bringing in a WPZ for the Wye catchment, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It is a measure which would place tighter restrictions on farms and other pollution sources, but which only a government minister can implement.

Council leader David Hitchiner then wrote to Ms Pow, minister for nature recovery and the domestic environment, urging her to bring in the measure, given that "existing regulatory arrangements are insufficient" to deal with the pollution problem.

He said farmers in the county "on the leading edge of farming innovation… would have little to fear from a WPZ as they are doing the right thing anyway".

Ms Pow met Mr Hitchiner and other senior figures at the river shortly afterwards, but she warned at the time that such a zone "would be another tier of regulation".

Now in a letter, which has been published among papers for Wednesday's Wye Catchment Nutrient Management Board meeting, the minister has written back to say a WPZ "would impose new and distinct regulatory obligations on the farmers and businesses within the catchment".

This "would lead to additional regulatory burdens in comparison to businesses in other areas of the country", she said.

The council has been invited to comment by the BBC.

Herefordshire Council has attempted to gain special protection for the River Wye, which is seen here (below) from Symonds Yat Rock.

Source | BBC

 

[megilleland]

Special Protection of the Highly Polluted River Wye. Wye not? After all clean water is an essential requirement for modern living. We don't want the River Wye to be the drain for The Marches. Clean water is more important to humans than oil. If we ruin our water supplies then we risk our nation's health.

The Rivers Trust

Useful site for river sewage discharges. The Rivers Trust are conservation experts with a wealth of data and expertise at our fingertips. We work with our member Trusts to make our shared vision a reality: wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all. 

We want all life to thrive in and around our rivers. Whether you enjoy fishing, swimming or a riverside stroll, our rivers need us more than ever to recover and revive. 

Raw sewage in our rivers
We want to help you find out where sewage is discharged into rivers, enabling you to take action and to make informed decisions about where you swim, paddle, catch and play. Our Sewage Map shows where the sewerage network discharges and overflows into rivers. Be warned: you might not like what you discover!

County of Herefordshire Local Authority District data
Use filter and click on cluster to zoom in for specific instances.

[megilleland]

NEWBrew beer in Singapore is made from recycled sewage water

This has got to be taking the pi$$! Possibly the future for all of us.

NEWBrew isn’t the first beer that uses recycled sewage. Swedish brewer Nya Carnegie Brewery collaborated with beer giant Carlsberg and an environmental research institute to create a pilsner made with purified toilet water.

A Canadian brewer, Village Brewery, teamed up with US water technology firm Xylem and researchers from the University of Calgary to create their own ale.

[ragwert]

On 01/07/2022 at 07:06, megilleland said:

Special Protection of the Highly Polluted River Wye. Wye not? After all clean water is an essential requirement for modern living. We don't want the River Wye to be the drain for The Marches. Clean water is more important to humans than oil. If we ruin our water supplies then we risk our nation's health.

The Rivers Trust

Useful site for river sewage discharges. The Rivers Trust are conservation experts with a wealth of data and expertise at our fingertips. We work with our member Trusts to make our shared vision a reality: wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all. 

We want all life to thrive in and around our rivers. Whether you enjoy fishing, swimming or a riverside stroll, our rivers need us more than ever to recover and revive. 

Raw sewage in our rivers
We want to help you find out where sewage is discharged into rivers, enabling you to take action and to make informed decisions about where you swim, paddle, catch and play. Our Sewage Map shows where the sewerage network discharges and overflows into rivers. Be warned: you might not like what you discover!

County of Herefordshire Local Authority District data
Use filter and click on cluster to zoom in for specific instances.

 

[ragwert]

On 01/07/2022 at 07:06, megilleland said:

Special Protection of the Highly Polluted River Wye. Wye not? After all clean water is an essential requirement for modern living. We don't want the River Wye to be the drain for The Marches. Clean water is more important to humans than oil. If we ruin our water supplies then we risk our nation's health.

The Rivers Trust

Useful site for river sewage discharges. The Rivers Trust are conservation experts with a wealth of data and expertise at our fingertips. We work with our member Trusts to make our shared vision a reality: wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all. 

We want all life to thrive in and around our rivers. Whether you enjoy fishing, swimming or a riverside stroll, our rivers need us more than ever to recover and revive. 

Raw sewage in our rivers
We want to help you find out where sewage is discharged into rivers, enabling you to take action and to make informed decisions about where you swim, paddle, catch and play. Our Sewage Map shows where the sewerage network discharges and overflows into rivers. Be warned: you might not like what you discover!

County of Herefordshire Local Authority District data
Use filter and click on cluster to zoom in for specific instances.

Pretty clear by looking at the map of discharge locations tha the Rivers in Wales are just a cesspit. 
Imagine if the river Wye map looked like that.