Clean Water Watch
A regular column to update readers on the damaging effects of the current management of water in Hastings, surrounding areas (and nationally) and what people are doing about it. If you have any information, please contact [email protected] marked Clean Water Watch.
“YOUR WATER MATTERS”
The day of the Southern Water (SW) drop-in at the Stade on Thursday 12 October dawned with an excellent 7.15am interview with Becca Horn of Clean Water Action on Allison Ferns’ BBC Sussex show.
THE DROP-IN
SW had a strong presence even before the meeting began, with some heavy-looking security. The hall filled up quietly when doors opened at 11am and we were provided with a very slick ‘meet and greet’: diagrams, models, and hi-tech equipment were on display with engineers keen to explain what they were doing. The PR message was, ‘we acknowledge we’ve made mistakes but we’re here to listen’ with a subtext of ‘but look what we’re doing already’.
SPEECHES AND INTERVIEWS
BBC South Today and ITV Meridian News were present with Cllr Andy Batsford being interviewed on one channel. XR led a ‘toilet protest’ outside the hall, while the crowd steadily grew. The police, primed for a disturbance, busied themselves moving the crowd around ‘for everyone’s safety’. Speeches began at 12pm.
Clean Water Action: Becca Horn gave a rousing speech, reminding the crowd why they were there, summarising problems and explaining what they wanted to achieve.
Parents for Future (Hastings & St Leonards): Jen Rouse lent the weight of this national organisation to the event, reminding us that this is about the future, not just the current mess.
Sewage Contamination Group: Myriam Lengliné, in black clothes and beret emphasising her fighting spirit, talked about the battle to bring the contamination of Old Roar Gill to the attention of SW and how they have been “dismissing and misleading residents’ concerns”.
Boycott Water Bills: Katy Colley gave an impassioned speech, reminding us, amongst other things, of how Hastings beaches had been off limits for 54% of the summer. Focussing on how ‘people power’ had got us this far, she finished with inspiring optimism.
Save Old Roar Gill: Anna Silvatica highlighted the importance of Alexandra Park, and the Old Roar Gill in particular, as a place for the community to enjoy for the future, reiterated concerns about being ignored by SW despite monitoring the water both visually and through water testing .
XR Hastings: Jane Ripley, a water pollution chemist, rounded off the impressive line-up, emphasising the importance of planning for the future security of our water system as an integral part of our planet’s future.
SUMMING UP
While the PR offensive was impressive, it could not hope to make up for the lack of communication over the last year or so. It was good to hear what SW were planning and see the resources they were bringing to bear such as the hi-tech portable testing system. But how did we get into this mess in the first place? The following extract is from a paper by the Royal Society of Chemistry on Combined Sewage Outflows (CSOs), a major cause of the sewage pollution we suffer in this town and elsewhere. It pins the blame squarely on the water industry.
“Although, there is no doubt that everyone has a role to play to help reduce the frequency and duration of CSO events … the real power to solve this problem lies with the water industry and the need to invest to repair, replace, and extend our water infrastructure. From pumps to pipes, this infrastructure is often out of sight and out of mind. In fact, the frequent use of CSOs in England could simply be the symptom of an infrastructure deficit in need of funding and upgrading.”
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