Brexit Conversation

[lady-janine]

Whilst I was out today I overheard some people discussing the amount of sewage being discharged and affecting bathing on Cornish beaches (80% of beaches reckoned to be affected in Cornwall) and this group were agreeing it was the fault of leaving the EU.

Has anyone any comment on this?

[Hopkirk]

They were having a good re-moan about were they?

Can I blame Brexit for the woeful performance of my football team?

[Buenchico]

There's no doubt at all that, as a result of Brexit, water companies were finding it hard to get hold of the chemicals to treat sewage two years ago (largely due to the shortage of HGV drivers) and that, at that time, the Department of the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs then agreed to allow partially-treated sewage to be released into the sea.

From September 2021:
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/brexit-raw-sewerage-water-treatment-b1915765.html

That concession to the water companies was meant to be "strictly time-limited" but it seems unclear as to if or when the concession actually ended.

[Old_Geezer]

So if we were still in the EU there'd be no sewage ? That it was all clean and sparkling before we left ? Are they for real ? Are some of our citizens really that hard of thinking ?

[Old_Geezer]

Sewage has always been allowed to be discharged there as in emergency situations the alternative isn't a valid option.

[Arksided]

You cant allow any discharge from West Brom mate... best keep it to yourself.

[bobbinwales]

Hymie may have a youtube clip that explains it. I think it's been claimed the levels are consistently now above those EU allows...but am sure other EU countrys have sewage issue warnings on some beaches

[1ozzy]

So just release your crap and pee wherever?

Awesome!!

[Hymie]

I have previously post details on this Brexit benefit – but as requested, here is a youtube video explaining things, it even has a Tory MP reminiscing about the good old days of swimming in raw sewage.

But now free from the hated EUSSR (not having to follow this particular directive) we can now pump as much raw sewage as we like into our rivers and coastal waters – and are doing so.

[bobbinwales]

Hy,ie kow do you explain sewage being worse in Poland than UK...when Poland are in the EU

[Peter Pedant]

So if we were still in the EU there'd be no sewage ?

So if we were still in the EU there'd be fewer sewage spills ? - Poss. arguable, do you remember the Great Big Bill of British Liberties ( one Liar Cameron that one )where we ended up with fewer liberties than we started with ?

such as the power to punish spills - liberties come with a cost OG

the bonfire of EU ( EUSSR! that is!) regulations

is it possible the regulation against water companies pooing in the sea was one of them

[Peter Pedant]

Hymie I notice we EUSSR together....

[Old_Geezer]

Now free from the hated EUSSR we are able to make our own rules, as it should be, rather than either complying or doing what we want and being "fined" by some unelected foreign elite. It's not a Brexit issue. The UK government we elected now makes the decisions on our behalf, so if you have an issue it's with them.

[Peter Pedant]

Now free from the hated EUSSR we are able to make our own rules,
yeah given
and what I am saying is that the water comanies are free to pee in the sea ( see above)

[retrocop]

The excuses I read had naff all to do with Brexit. Our aged Victorian sewage system is not fit for purpose and the utility companies would rather give their profits to the fat cats that run them. Recently,due to heavy rain fall the water had no where to run off and deluged the sewers which could not cope. Rather than raw sewage backing up in your toilets it had to be diverted unfortunately into water courses and the sea.
Perhaps that is a message for those who would like more immigrants in our country. We do not have suitable infrastructure to cope with what we have. No use building more houses if we have no reservoirs for fresh water or sewers to dispose of waste water.

[retrocop]

Not a Brexit problem at all. About five years ago a small German community had to plead to Merkhel that they couldn't handle any more immigrants when she opened the floodgates to all and sundry.
The Germans were not happy bunnies with her. Their sewers had functioned sufficiently until they had a load of immigrants foisted on them.

[Old_Geezer]

It's fair to say, though, that successive governments have allowed them to do this, rather than, as a vital service company, be obliged to maintain & improve the infrastructure. There should be standards they are obliged to stick to on pain of otherwise being renationalised at negligible cost.

Vital services in private hands seem a rather high risk strategy. If a nation opts to take the risk it needs to retain control of the effects via a decent framework.

[retrocop]

Too right OG

[lady-janine]

Thank you all for your replies. I did already know that more than handsome bonuses had been paid to owners of water companies and I believe citing that they had done such a good job.

Discharge is not healthy for our rivers and coastal areas so does that mean that nothing can be done to make them do their jobs and bring our water back to being healthy and usable?

[webbo3]

Venice discharges sewage into its canals

[david small]

Corruption, self interest, indifference, a heady mix for any privatised company, corporation, government.