Bathers Going Through the Motions
BY PAUL MCLAUGHLIN
Hundreds of environmental campaigners recently gathered in St Leonards for the unveiling of a mock Blue Plaque to highlight the continued dumping of raw sewage into the sea by Southern Water, and to protest the government’s lack of action in holding the company to account. The Dirty Water national campaign drew support from a myriad of local groups including Extinction Rebellion Hastings and St Leonards, Clean Water Action Group and MP Watch.
HASTINGS’ NEW BLUE PLAQUE
The unveiling of the plaque made from recycled materials was greeted by cheers from the crowd. It highlights Southern Water’s “criminal” record in dumping raw sewage into the sea in and around Hastings 234 times last year.
Becca Horn, the Clean Water Action Group organiser, said it was “unacceptable” for Southern Water to dump raw sewage into the sea on a scale and frequency which was only getting worse.
She highlighted statistics which showed there were 121 such spillages by Southern Water in 2021, and 234 the following year. In January 2023 alone, she said the number of spillages reported was already over 50 – and warned if this rate of dumping sewage into the sea continued, it would “destroy our reputation as a clean and friendly town for tourists and swimmers”. She warned: “We will not tolerate or accept this, enough is enough.”
SICK OF SEWAGE
The numbers of people falling ill after entering the water is understood to have increased in recent years. Amy Walker, Chair of Hastings Rounders, whom HIP readers will remember, rescued a dolphin trapped in a rocky gulley at Rock-A-Nore beach with members of her team just after Christmas; since her heroic efforts, she has been plagued by sickness and believes the levels of sewage in the water could be to blame.
Other rounders players were also sick in the summer after going into the sea together, with no other obvious explanation. She is keen to encourage people to see a doctor and to put their sickness on the record if it links to sewage dumps. “We need to build up a body of evidence and put pressure on water companies to make improvements,“ she said. “Nothing will ever change as long as it is cheaper for them to pay fines rather than do essential repair work.”
VOTING FOR THE DUMPERS
Edwina Hughes, who enjoys sea swimming off the beach in St Leonards with friends, is similarly angry at the lack of action to hold Southern Water to account. “[They are] pumping sewage and wastewater into the sea at a volume and frequency which makes it inhospitable at best and dangerous at worst for swimmers. It is bad news for everyone whether you swim or not. It has a knock-on effect on our economy and our environment. They need to be held accountable.”
Helena Dollimore, Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate, attacked Sally-Ann Hart, the local Conservative MP, whom, she said, had actively voted against proposals in the Commons to reduce the dumping of raw sewage. In stark contrast, she said a future Labour Government would introduce mandatory monitoring of all sewage outlets and the imposition of automatic fines for discharges. The bosses of water companies would also be targeted to make them “financially, legally and, if necessary, criminally accountable” for their actions. She added that in the worst breaches, this could mean prison.
Councillor Julia Hilton of the Green Party drew loud cheers from the crowd when she re-affirmed that it was her party’s policy to renationalise Southern Water and the other water companies who, she said, continue to look after the interests of shareholders rather than ordinary people. “The market is failing, and we will fix it for everybody.”
What People Are Saying…
Local Green Party councillor Glenn Haffenden told HIP “the only reason we are seeing any kind of change is because the people of Hastings and St Leonards are holding strong and constantly putting the pressure on to stop these dumps happening.“
Local Extinction Rebellion members told us “The Dirty Water campaign is about raising awareness of the on-going pollution of our waterways and oceans. Despite the claims of good intentions, this isn’t getting any better. In fact, it’s getting worse, much worse. Our local MP has voted to allow this to continue and the government have cut the funding of the Environmental Agency meaning nobody is holding Southern Water to account. Southern Water has a long history of prioritizing paying dividends to their shareholders rather than investing in the infrastructure that will stop this from happening. And all the time that it is cheaper for them to pay the occasional fine than do the necessary work, this will continue.
“If it is not our water being polluted, it is our air or our food. If it’s not the pandemic bringing hardship, it’s the war in Ukraine or the cost of living crisis. Everyone is out on strike for a reason; this whole system doesn’t work. And it’s this system that is creating the devastating effects of the climate catastrophe and the collapse of bio-diversity that we are now experiencing, When will this destruction of our environment stop? If the government aren’t willing to take the action necessary then we must get out onto the streets and peacefully demand that they let us decide how we change the system that is bringing about this destruction. That’s why I will be in London on 21st April with 100,000 people demanding for this to happen.”
Find more info here: extinctionrebellion.uk/the-big-one/
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