Suffolk environmental charity calls for extensive work to improve water infrastructure
The Royal Academy of Engineering has set out a range of 'immediate' and 'long-term' recommendations
Last updated 21st May 2024
An environmental charity in Suffolk's calling on the government and water companies to make urgent upgrades to sewage systems- to protect public health.
It's as a new report from the National Engineering Policy Centre's warning about the dangers of contaminating rivers, seas and lakes with traces of human waste.
Martha Meek, director of the River Waveney Trust, tells us that sewage causes around "54% of failures in water quality" across the UK and she wants to see this immediately addressed: "One of the things we, as a rivers trust, are advocating for, is more nature based solutions - like wetlands.
"We also need to look at how to stop the water from getting into the system in the first place...
"If someone's using a river recreationally... this pollution can cause public health risks, and we've seen many incidents of people getting ill with some fairly serious illnesses."
When discussing how sewage is getting into rivers, Martha mentioned agriculture, suggesting, as Suffolk is a rural county it is not uncommon to see animals along the river, meaning their waste can end up in the water.
Which does the report recommend?
Immediate Actions:
-Asset maintenance: Water service providers must prioritise asset maintenance, with regulatory frameworks enforcing resilience.
-Environmental monitoring: National and devolved governments should hasten environmental monitoring rollouts, with regulators overseeing microbiological quality to inform pollution forecasts and public advisories.
-Bathing water review: A governmental review of bathing water regulations is necessary to ensure that protections are proportionate to the public health risk.
-Overflow management: Storage tanks can collect storm water to prevent untreated wastewater spilling into waterways, however, these are an unsustainable short-term fix, and should only be used where environmental and public health risks are greatest.
-Runoff reduction: Authorities must explore ways to decrease urban runoff, including incentives for removing impermeable surfaces, like patios or paved over gardens.
-Collaborative modelling: Water companies should collaborate with researchers to model catchments for improved infrastructure management.
-Public engagement: Health and environmental authorities need to educate the public about the public health risks and work together to and improve the effectiveness of signage at designated bathing sites.
-Disinfection assessment: The need for disinfection processes at critical sites should be evaluated as part of a public health risk-based approach.
Long-Term Transformational Opportunities:
-Visionary strategy: A government-led vision for the wastewater system should be established, incorporating diverse perspectives and setting measurable targets.
-Sustainable drainage: A national strategy for sustainable drainage systems is essential to manage rainwater, reduce sewer inputs, and adapt to climate change.
-Water efficiency strategy: The government is urged to reevaluate its water efficiency and blockage prevention strategy, potentially including a ban on non-flushable items, complemented by public engagement to foster responsible use of the water system.
-Innovative treatment funding: Water service providers and regulators should allocate more funds for large-scale demonstrator programs to pioneer new treatment methods, enhancing performance, pollutant removal, and real-time faecal pathogen monitoring.
Enabling Actions for Future Readiness:
-Research investment: UKRI and other funders are called upon to fund multidisciplinary research into faecal microbial behaviour and the development of advanced monitoring technologies for real-time detection in recreational waters.
-Skill development: There is a need to expand regulatory and engineering expertise to implement these actions and manage water quality monitoring and enforcement.
-Wastewater champion: The appointment of a dedicated wastewater champion is recommended to facilitate cross-stakeholder collaboration and information exchange, vital for enhancing the UK's wastewater infrastructure.
What's the Government said on this?
Professor Chris Whitty KCB, FRS, Chief Medical Officer for England, says:
"Public waterways are a great resource enjoyed by many children and adults and can have a significant positive impact on our health. Minimising human faecal organisms in fresh water is a public health priority as well as an environmental one.
"Whilst there will always be challenges with the efficient management of sewers and sewage treatment works, this report provides clear technical options for how this can realistically be achieved."
The Government says its plan to clean up waterways- will result in £60 billion of capital investment going into improving storm overflows by 2030