Putting pressure on the water industry to stop polluting our seas and rivers | Water quality news & updates

Whitstable, Kent
Help us reach 300,000 signatures 🌊 change.org/nationalise-water Click here ⤴️ Or Scan here ⤵️
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Whitstable's bathing water is classified as 'excellent'. And here it was this morning.
92% of England’s designated bathing sites are rated as good or excellent. We will continue to work with partners to ensure that we keep the sites clean for people and for nature. Check out the water quality at your local designated bathing sites: environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/…
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We are concerned by the @Conservatives response to the ongoing sewage crisis and the manner in which they are trying to shape the narrative and rewrite history. A thread ⤵️
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Thank you to everybody who turned out today, all of our incredible guests and @EvolutionDrone for this incredible footage 😲 WHAT A TURNOUT! Are you you listening @SouthernWater? #EndSewagePollution
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Sewage overflowing onto the street in Margate. @SouthernWater say it was most likely a result of people putting "unflushable" items down the toilet. Gaslighting 101. kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news…
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A shocking video taken by @alexbenwell of Chichester Harbour on Sunday. According to the @SouthernWater website the release is still going, 32 days after it started, and Chichester MP @GillianKeegan still hasn't publicly rebuked SW for it 🤔
Westborneo Wildman
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🚨 The sea has officially been barricaded 🚨 @SouthernWater, look how many people turned out to protest against you 👀
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Wow. What an afternoon. An amazing turnout. Thank you so much to @Feargal_Sharkey, @GreenJennyJones, @CatHobbs, @MrWhitstable and @chinasoulmusic for appearing. Also thank you to @ClonesCyclone and Paul Whitehouse for supporting us. Finally, thank you everyone who attended ♥️
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So far this month @SouthernWater have released sewage 493 times across their 86 bathing sites for a total 3709+ hours. That's nearly 5 months worth of sewage. It's only the 8th. What is being done about it? 🧵⤵️
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It seems that @SouthernWater have updated their BeachBouy interactive map. They will no longer change the colour of a bathing location to red if a sewage (CSO) release doesn't meet certain criteria. (1/5)
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Whitstable Harbour this morning. Think that's just murky water? Wait until the camera pans round. Care to explain, @SouthernWater? 📽️ - @Hywel_Morgan
Hywel Morgan (He/Him)
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"“If you have a young family, you're going to avoid anywhere with sewage. There’s no point going to the seaside because you can’t dip your feet in the water" Traders are fed up, after @SouthernWater released sewage over the dry bank holiday weekend 😡 kentonline.co.uk/herne-bay/n…
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Conservative MPs are gloating that they successfully undermined today's sewage vote with a 'niche piece of Commons procedure.' All they're doing is laughing in the faces of coastal and riverside communities to whom this is a devastating issue. Shameful. express.co.uk/news/politics/…
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We'd love @SouthernWater to explain not only why they released two hours of sewage in Whitstable overnight but also why they don't think this should be displayed on their map? There's been zero rain, is this an illegal, permit-breaching release? 🤔
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Well, well, well. Why would an executive from a group who own a water company give a cash donation to a government minister prior to a vote on sewage? 🤔 #EndSewagePollution #SewageScandal
.@DominicRaab Last month you declared a £10k donation from a Director of Macquarie Group, owners of Southern Water. What did he want in return?
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We watched a Select Committee on the work of DEFRA on Tuesday and it was evident that the Secretary of State didn't want to be there. Here she is calling an opposition MP 'pathetic' four times in the space of 40 seconds for challenging the government's lack of action 😲
BREAKING: Lib Dems are calling for @theresecoffey to resign as she "doesn't care" about her job stopping sewage spills. More on @guardian including full sewage spill figures shortly...
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Astonishing, we've almost got a full house. Of the 86 bathing sites on the @SouthernWater map, 78 are showing sewage releases 💩 If we manually add 'non-impacting' releases, we're down to 3 unpolluted locations in Kent, Sussex and Hampshire. Difficult to know what to say 🤷‍♂️
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We've just taken these images in Tankerton. The water discolouration suddenly appeared above the Tankerton Circus outfall, which is submerged at high tide. It then drifted to the right. There's no rain and people are swimming. Can we have an explanation @SouthernWater?
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Following an overnight release in Tankerton, it was a beautiful morning to watch sewage gently lap against the shore 🌅 Thank God @SouthernWater reassured us that these releases are "95% rainwater" 💩 🎥 - @salburttjones
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Utter nonsense from @_RobbieMoore. - They only test during the driest months of the year. - They don't include the worst results. - They don't test on beaches that have been closed BECAUSE of sewage pollution. It's utter data manipulation from these charlatans.
Across 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 our bathing waters are improving. Almost 90% achieve Good or Excellent status in 2023 🆙 from just 76% in 2010. Partnership working is key to achieving Excellent - like at Trevaunance Cove, Cornwall. Meeting with @thisischerilyn, SWW & EA we discussed ongoing efforts.
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Here's Easter in the south west. @SouthWestWater indiscriminately bombarding the sea with raw sewage. Then claiming that we have no right to swim in it anyway. What a disgusting company.
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We're calling for the entire water industry to be nationalised once again. 88,000+ have signed our petition in the last week. If you agree, please sign and share: change.org/nationalise-water
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Where can we order these? 😂
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A second Kent Beach has been closed for the entire summer following "heightened traces of intestinal enterococci, indicating human faeces may be in the sea." Will you be compensating businesses in Littlestone, @SouthernWater? kentonline.co.uk/romney-mars…
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Neither of these are remotely close to what @mariacaulfield claimed and are simply asking for gradual improvements in the system. That she has supplemented this bogus statement by suggesting that it would also result in homes being flooded by sewage is Project Fear at work 😡
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We're thrilled to reveal the 'Sirens of Sewage' a new art installation in Whitstable by the amazing @JasondeCairesT. It celebrates the national network of volunteers fighting for our water, including two members of @SOSWhitstable, Robin and Rose ✊
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Replying to @mrjamesob
The anti-sewage amendment is being brought back for a second vote on Wednesday James and people are, quite rightly, demanding the correct result this time. We're here to help that happen...
MP's voted not to #EndSewagePollution last week but the amendment will return to the House of Commons for a SECOND VOTE on Wednesday 27th and this time we're going to win 🗳️ Retweet and click below to find out how YOU can help ⤵️
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Drone footage captured just up the road from us in Herne Bay yesterday 😲 We'd love to know what this is @SouthernWater? 📽️ @CLEVERCLOGS_SI
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We hope everybody watched the first part of Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers last night! We thought it was brilliant. Well done to @WindrushWasp, @Feargal_Sharkey, @MattStaniek, @CleanIlkley, @UnderwaterMedia, @Jamie_Woodward_ and everyone else who took part 👏
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Today is the day. We're heading to @10DowningStreet to submit our petition to return the water industry to public ownership. Here is the letter which we will be handing over to @RishiSunak ⤵️
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No @SallyAnn1066, you don't know what you voted for. There was ABSOLUTELY ZERO mention of banning sewage overnight, it was "progressive reductions" that you rejected. Another Conservative MP peddling the party lie and her own constituents know it.
Channel 4 News
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167 hours elapsed between episodes 1 and 2 of 'Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers'. In that time @SouthernWater released 81 hours of sewage into the sea in Whitstable and 931 hours across the entire south-east. The battle is just beginning.
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She claimed the amendment called for "an immediate end to sewage outflows" and "would have led to sewage leaking into people's homes. This is, at best, a complete misunderstanding of the amendment and, at worst, an outright lie.
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MP's voted not to #EndSewagePollution last week but the amendment will return to the House of Commons for a SECOND VOTE on Wednesday 27th and this time we're going to win 🗳️ Retweet and click below to find out how YOU can help ⤵️
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It seems there's Conservative bickering about the sewage row. Except instead of complaining about the faulty legislation, they're upset that weren't briefed in time to defend themselves. As ever it's self-preservation over the national interest. spectator.co.uk/article/is-i…
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If anybody wants to know what a CSO release looks like as it's happening, be prepared to be disgusted 👇 (🎥 @craddock1970) nitter.app/craddock1970/status/15…
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As a group, @SOSWhitstable strive to remain apolitical and merely want this problem to end by whoever can fix it. However, we cannot ignore that the @Conservatives are the ruling party and have been idle, if not obstructive, when it comes to fixing sewage pollution 💩
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There have been 120 sewage releases in Kent so far this year and 55 of them (46%) have been in Tankerton 💩 If Kent is the garden of England, we are unfortunately the outhouse. Thanks @SouthernWater. #EndSewagePollution
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Is it April Fools already? This is like Durex giving Boris Johnson a lifetime achievement award for services to contraception. What are you playing at @EnvAgency?
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The wording which we wanted, seen below, called for water companies to... 1) Take all reasonable steps to ensure sewage is not discharged 2) Demonstrate improvement in the performance of sewerage systems.
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This is Pagham, a beautiful seaside village in Sussex. In October @SouthernWater released sewage 87 times here for a total of 1026 hours. That's 42 days worth of sewage in a 31 day month 😲 This is your constituency @NickGibbUK. What are you going to do about it?
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We don't know why it's happening but it's extremely sad to hear reports of dead seals washing up across the Kent coast in recent days, including this one in Tankerton this afternoon 😢
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Well done to everyone in Hastings who protested against @SouthernWater and sewage pollution today. Fantastic turnout! 👏 📽️ - @Max08011958
Maxine Gilmore
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And how are we to trust a political party whose MPs are unaware of developments within their own party and are seemingly willing to mislead the public to escape scrutiny? #EndSewagePollution
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Shocked by what you saw on Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers last night? Reckon the privately-owned water companies have had enough chances? Join the 210,000+ others who have already signed our petition calling for a return to public ownership ⤵️ change.org/nationalise-water
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There's almost no shock factor to posting images like this anymore. 39 bathing locations in the south east being destroyed by sewage. Six ongoing releases between 125 and 294 hours long. Yet nobody is shocked because @SouthernWater have made it seem normal. It's shouldn't be.
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Swalecliffe Brook this evening. Beautiful 🙄
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It seems as though @SouthernWater have released sewage within the last 24 hours in the following locations... Sheerness Broadstairs Ramsgate Littlehampton Bognor Regis Pagham Be careful if you're swimming near these locations today 🌊
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What has gone on over the last week is utterly disgraceful from @SouthernWater. It's Christmas week and bill-paying consumers are queuing for water at bottle stations. Meanwhile, as ever, the sea is awash with sewage. Put water back in public ownership.
Seriously, @SouthernWater ?! Is it any wonder over 205k people signed the @SOSWhitstable delivered to @10DowningStreet this week?
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Here's Conservative MP @Helen_Whately telling the @bbcquestiontime audience that it will take 25 years to stop sewage. Less than a month ago they voted down legislation that would have set a legally binding date of 2031. Laughable.
Farrukh
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"Paul Whitehouse: Britain’s polluted rivers are at tipping point" Spot on. And we're absolutely thrilled that Paul is coming along to support our protest tomorrow 🪧 thetimes.co.uk/article/paul-…
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There is a deluge of sewage being released across the southeast today, courtesy of @SouthernWater 💩 Whitstable is leading the way with 52 consecutive hours (and counting) of sewage but Peel Common, Ryde and Littlehampton are all over 20+ hours too. Disgraceful.
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New year, same old @SouthernWater 💩 Sewage being pumped out all over the southeast, including a 339+ hour (14 day) release in Littlehampton that has been classified as 'non-impacting' on bathing quality 🤔 Water way to start 2023.
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In it @mariacaulfield, MP for Lewes and Minister of State for Health, references last year's House of Commons vote on a sewage amendment to the Environment Bill, which we fought for and @Conservatives blocked.
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It isn't just Chichester, @SouthernWater have been spewing sewage into the sea for 12 days straight in Littlehampton. Where is the condemnation from local MP @NickGibbUK for the damage to his constituency and constituents? We sense a pattern emerging.
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What kind of system allows a company like @AnglianWater to take £4.6 billion in dividends but still asks the public to foot the bill of infrastructural investment? 🤔 The answer is one that doesn't have the best interests of the public at its heart.
So while @AnglianWater's new sewage plant in @camcitco is being built using £227m of taxpayers' money remember that AW has paid out £4.6bn in dividends to shareholders. Are shareholders even putting as much as a £0.01 into the new sewage works? eadt.co.uk/news/23337381.ang…
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Beautiful day for a protest 🌅
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44 polluted @SouthernWater locations. Here's the worst ongoing releases... 104+ hours (Pagham) 103+ (Chichester) 102+ (Lee-On-Solent) 99+ (Chichester) 97+ (Bexhill - Non-impacting) 50+ (Ryde) 48+ (Langstone Harbour) 49+ (Bexhill) 42+ (Sandown) 29+ (Bognor) Catastrophic. (1/2)
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"Water companies want bills to increase by £156 a year by 2030 to pay for upgrades and reduce sewage discharges." They take more than enough from us. Utterly shameless. Return to public ownership now. bbc.com/news/business-669792…
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The government's anti-sewage duty was revealed on Friday. It's a cop out 🤦‍♂️ On Monday MPs will vote between the Duke of Wellington's amendment or this new, watered down, duty. Click below for full details. Please ❤️ and 🔁. #EndSewagePollution change.org/p/ukparliament-ma…
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On the face of it, this appears to be an incredibly cynical attempt to make their sewage map look less like the one below (last October) and attract less criticism and negative publicity as a result. (2/5)
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Yesterday our petition to return the water industry to public ownership had just over 200k signatures. Now it has a quarter of a million. Shout out to @theresecoffey and the @Conservatives for making our job so easy 👍 If you'd like to sign ➡️ change.org/nationalise-water
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"Thérèse Coffey has admitted she cannot end the sewage scandal, in what critics are calling a “complete abdication of duty”." If @theresecoffey has no plan, ambition or enthusiasm for this vital role, she should make way for someone who does. theguardian.com/environment/…
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Tories given tips on countering sewage claims in bid to save seats. We can already tell you what they'll be... "Spills are 95% rainwater" - FALSE "We didn't vote to dump sewage" - FALSE "It would cost £600bn+ to fix the issue and YOU'D pay" - FALSE inews.co.uk/news/politics/se…
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The damage that companies like @SouthernWater do to coastal economies, as seen in the brilliant 'Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers' tonight, is shocking. They should be offering direct compensation to affected businesses, especially those related to fishing and tourism.
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This was news to Bexhill MP @HuwMerriman, who appeared on @BBCRadio4 on Saturday stating that the report would be released imminently. We Tweeted him for clarification on whether him or the @Telegraph were correct but received no reply 🤐
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Of course, this will still be catastrophic for marine life, the environment and the fishing industry, even if it might reduce the impact on swimmers and beach users 🐟 It is also a far cheaper option.
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"An elderly woman was forced to move out of her Pennington home of over 50 years due to sewage flooding her garden." The human cost of corporate greed. We hope you're proud of yourselves @SouthernWater. advertiserandtimes.co.uk/new…
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A Brighton councillor has suggested that @SouthernWater send text messages out when it's raining asking people to not flush their toilets. SW Director @TobyWillison called it a "really good suggestion". Has it come to this? theargus.co.uk/news/23279911…
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"Pink stream caused by binned paint" And the @EnvAgency have said "Results from our investigation, including a dissolved oxygen reading, indicate no residual risk to humans or animals" Sewage is mostly rainwater and swimming in paint is harmless then? bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqv9…
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So @thameswater were offended by language used in a speech. Do you know what offends us? Them running up £18 billion of debt, demanding higher bills and lower fines, pumping massive amounts of sewage into our water and STILL having the cheek to pay themselves huge dividends.
📣Potty polluter complains about use of FOUL language‼️ Dear @thameswater I’d like to unreservedly NOT apologise for using the words SH💩T T💩RD 💩SS in my speech to the sewage industry last week Until you stop sh💩tting in our rivers, we’ll keep saying it how it is: SH💩T
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On Tuesday @RosieDuffield1 asked @theresecoffey if she'd come to Whitstable to see the impact of sewage pollution. She said there's no need. Last month @SouthernWater released 11964 hrs of sewage, with Whitstable suffering the 6th most releases (72). We think there is a need.
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An unrelenting assault on our environment. There are now 18 ongoing @SouthernWater releases that are over 150 hours long and one that is closing in on 400 hours. And this from a company who want to raise our bills by 66%.
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The wording that we ended up with asks for a 'progressive reduction in the adverse impact of discharges' rather than demonstrating 'improvement in the performance of sewerage systems'.
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"Today, we are cracking down on water companies" - @_RobbieMoore Too late mate. You've had years to act on water companies and suddenly today, with an election looming,the penny's dropped? The public will deal with you at the ballot box.
❌ No-one should profit from polluting our waters. Today, we are cracking down with on water companies profiting from illegal behaviour. If water companies commit criminal breaches, their bosses should NOT be financially rewarded. More info 👉 bit.ly/3wf9lwP
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Totally misleading front page from @TheEconomist. Our water is nowhere near that clean.
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And an absolutely shocking drone image of the affected area in Herne Bay 😲⤵️
Happened to fly over the same area earlier today with my drone and there's an ever-so-slight difference between the rest of the sea and that area, probably not wise to have a swim near there 🥴
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Bathers warned to stay out of the beach for a second day in a row at Broadstairs, due to high pollution levels. One of the most popular beaches in Kent, with a range of seaside businesses that will suffer. Will you compensate them @SouthernWater? kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news…
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It was a beautiful weekend and thousands flocked to the beach 🌅 That didn't stop @SouthernWater releasing 5 hours of sewage into the sea on the Isle of Wight yesterday morning. @IoWBobSeely what are you going to do about your constituents being endangered in this way?
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One positive outcome of the Environment Bill was the written promise that @DefraGovUK would publish a report, by September 2022, outlining their plan to tackle sewage pollution in the years ahead.
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The subtle difference is water companies must lessen the impact of sewage releases, rather than discharging fewer of them. One way to do this is to extend the outfalls and pump the sewage further out to sea, as @SouthernWater have planned in Tankerton. southernwater.co.uk/the-news…
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Our petition to put the water industry back in public ownership is just 3k signatures short of 200,000 😲 As soon as we get there, we'll deliver it to parliament. Can you help us get over the line? Sign and share ⤵️ change.org/nationalise-water
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Here's @Feargal_Sharkey and the @GMB team visiting Whitstable to talk to us and other locals affected by @SouthernWater and the sewage crisis. The damage this environmental abuse is doing to our town is profound and we won't stop fighting until it ends.
Good Morning Britain
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"SOS Whitstable is vying to draw attention to the pollution levels in the seaside town on Saturday, which suffered more sewage releases than any other location in Kent in 2022." itv.com/news/meridian/2023-0…
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24 hours later and the sewage is still flowing in Chichester, the IOW and Lee-On-Solent 😡 No response as of yet from @IoWBobSeely or @GillianKeegan. Maybe today is the day for that strong-worded condemnation of @SouthernWater? We wait with baited breath.
Here are latest ongoing sewage releases from @SouthernWater. The MPs of these constituencies are: @AlanMakMP, @IoWBobSeely, @GillianKeegan and @NickGibbUK. Can we expect to see a strong, public condemnation from these @Conservatives in defence of their constituents? 🙄
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The Isle of Wight today, the most polluted location in the SE. 8 ongoing sewage releases, ranging between 27 and 60 hours. In Cowes, 3 are happening at once. Why is @IoWBobSeely not publicly berating @SouthernWater for what they're doing to that beautiful island? 😡
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🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨 We've been informed that the anti-sewage amendment, which was narrowly defeated by MPs on Wednesday, is going to be re-tabled for a SECOND VOTE next week. We may have a 2nd chance to win this. Stay tuned for confirmation and what we need you to do next.
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Well, it's taken a month but finally @GillianKeegan has responded to the Chichester sewage crisis... sussexexpress.co.uk/news/peo…
A shocking video taken by @alexbenwell of Chichester Harbour on Sunday. According to the @SouthernWater website the release is still going, 32 days after it started, and Chichester MP @GillianKeegan still hasn't publicly rebuked SW for it 🤔
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Well @SouthernWater. It hasn't been raining, so what is going on here? Another illegal, permit breaching dry spill? Should the @EnvAgencySE be checking this?
Footage of a sewage discharge into the River Stour at Minster. All trust is lost, we no longer know whats is really going on And it hasn't rained for weeks ☔ Full video here 👇 piped.video/8xgu4J-pOxs?si=46fr…
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"'No swim' warning remains in place after 'vomit-inducing' bug found in water" Never forget the water companies and MPs who tried to play these releases down as "95% rainwater". They were putting people's health at risk just to save face. uk.news.yahoo.com/no-swim-wa…
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They do not explain how they will judge whether or not the bathing water is safe in any meaningful sense, only that they will take into account location, duration of the release and tidal conditions. We would encourage @SouthernWater to publicly explain their modelling. (4/5)
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Water companies warn that cost of reducing sewage discharges will be passed onto the consumer during cost of living crisis. Instead, how about ALL dividends and bonuses are suspended until the costs are met, rather than us paying twice? thetimes.co.uk/article/water…
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"The Environment Secretary says he is ‘taking a very strong stance’ after it was revealed thousands of hours’ worth of sewage is dumped into the River Lim." Hands up if you can name a single positive thing he's done on this issue since being appointed? dorsetecho.co.uk/news/242854…
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"Public has no right to swim in sea, claims firm that dumped sewage at bathing spot" There we have it. We're just being greedy wanting to swim in the sea and not be poisoned. Thank you so much @SouthWestWater for pointing this out. inews.co.uk/news/environment…
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