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Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee on 14th Jan 2021 Sir James Bevan CEO of the @EnvAgency said "Almost by definition, we are not allowing people to discharge sewage into chalk streams".
Let's just check that statement shall we.
Let's just check that statement shall we.
In 2019 @ThamesWater spent 12,734 hours on 4,628 separate occasions dumping sewage into the River Kennet, a chalk stream, parts of which are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. https://twitter.com/Feargal_Sharkey/status/1300705626574802945?s=20
In 2019 @wessexwater spent spent 14,642 hours dumping sewage into the River Avon catchment, that 5 chalk streams parts of which are protected as a Special Area of Conversation.
This video taken in 2018 shows @ThamesWater's storm tanks at Epsom dumping sewage into the Hogsmill River, one of only two urban chalk streams in London.
In 2019 @AnglianWater spent 1,009 hours on 88 separate occasions dumping sewage into the River Rhee, a chalk stream which in turn feeds into the River Cam, another chalk stream.
Was Sir James's statement correct. No!
In fact I suspect the reverse is true. I cannot think of a single chalk stream catchment that is not having sewage dumped into it.
The truth, "almost by definition", you are "allowing people to discharge sewage into chalk streams".
In fact I suspect the reverse is true. I cannot think of a single chalk stream catchment that is not having sewage dumped into it.
The truth, "almost by definition", you are "allowing people to discharge sewage into chalk streams".
