Sewage issue

On Monday May 16, the government rejected a clear requirement from the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) to monitor the volumes of sewage spillages into the country’s rivers.

The Solent Protection Society took part in the public consultation as part of the EAC investigation given our belief that the harbours and estuaries of the Solent form integral parts of the river systems that feed them.

If the water companies are unable or unwilling to provide accurate spill volumes until suitable technical infrastructure is in place, we believe that local interested parties, including the local authorities and academic resources, could work with the Environment Agency and the water companies to publish interim estimates of spill volumes with reasonable accuracy.

By applying the 80:20 ‘Pareto Principal’ to an estimating model for spillage volumes, such a collaborative effort could offer a pragmatic, tactical solution to a recommendation that the government currently reject as being ‘limited by technical feasibility and cost’.

Further information can be found on the Solent Protection Society website at solentprotection.org.

Bob Comlay

Havant

Chair - The Solent Protection