Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Six million pints of beer poured down the drain
AWATER company serving part of the West says more than 6 million pints of beer have been disposed of in its area during the coronavirus lockdown.
Lots of beer in pub cellars has gone off since pubs and bars were forced to shut in March. However, pubs must apply for permission to local water companies to dispose of beer into the sewer.
Severn Trent Water, which supplies water in Gloucestershire and the Midlands, has given consent for 3.5 million litres of beer to be disposed of in the region, which is the equivalent of more than 6 million pints.
A spokesman said: “We’ve been working with the industry to make sure that any spoilt beer is disposed of correctly.
“There are some risks associated with tipping large quantities of beer into the sewer system unfortunately. We need to make sure that there is no overwhelming of the network if there are large quantities being disposed of, and that there is no impact on the running of our sewage treatment works. Our works clean up sewage using just bugs and heat, and if everyone sends all of the beer at the same time, this could impact the bugs and how well they do their job. We also need to make sure that nothing gets into the wider environment.
“So we’re asking that pubs, bars and restaurants check our website for contact details in order to speak to us first so that we can help them to dispose of their beer in a safe and responsible way.”
In Wales, almost one million litres of beer were dumped, according to Welsh Water.
The water company approved 995,000 litres of beer to be dumped into sewers since the start of lockdown, as of June 18.
Beer dumped into sewers
is then treated but inappropriate disposal poses a significant environmental risk. Water UK has been working with the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) to prevent the problem.
The BBPA last month estimated that 70 million pints of beer would have to be thrown away across the country. With the average price of a pint in the UK being £3.79 that equates to £265 million.
A Water UK spokesperson said: “Water companies have been working around the clock to process thousands of applications from pubs and brewers to help ensure pubs could open their doors on July 4.
“We obviously have to consider the environmental problems that can be caused by putting large quantities of beer in the sewer system, where it can reach rivers and waterways. It’s important this process is managed carefully to avoid any damage to fish and marine life.”