Fisheries Officers at
the Environment Agency’s Tewkesbury office
have saved over 90 cubic metres of water
a year by removing an inefficient water
purification unit.
During its annual service
shocked staff discovered that the unit was
using over 90 cubic metres of water to purify
just under 7 cubic metres of useable water.
The rest had been wasted on self-cleaning
programmes.
The water purification
unit was installed many years ago to remove
trace elements such as chlorine from tap
water before it was used to store and transport
live fish.
The team found that,
by changing their working practices, the
unit could be removed without causing any
harm to the fish. Leaving tap water to stand
for 24 hours before introducing the fish
was enough to reduce chlorine to an acceptable
level.
Technical Officer, Sam
Chapman says “It’s so easy to take water
supplies for granted but water is a precious
resource. We were appalled to find that
the unit was wasting so much of it. In the
light of what we discovered, we urge people
to review how they use water, especially
if they use large quantities as we do. Just
changing the way you do things, installing
a water meter, or swapping to a more efficient
unit could save you money as well as helping
the environment.”
Although we have high
rainfall in the UK, we have limited facilities
for water storage and a high population,
which means that there is a relatively small
amount of available water for each person
and many demands on our water supplies.
Everyone can help to save water:
Take showers (not power
showers) instead of baths.
Don't leave the tap running when you brush
your teeth.
Collect rainwater in a water butt to use
in the garden.
Fit a water saving device to your toilet
to reduce the amount of water you use when
flushing.
+ More
Environment Agency issues
warning after waste oil is emptied into
drain
A Dorset river narrowly
escaped pollution after a motorist deliberately
tipped waste engine oil into a drainage
gully at Gillingham near Shaftesbury.
The Environment Agency
was alerted by members of the public after
oil was seen coming from an outfall pipe
on a housing estate at Kingscourt Meadow.
The outfall is only a short distance from
the River Lodden.
Oil was clearly visible
on the surface of the water and on the ground
surrounding the outfall. Concerned at the
pipe’s close proximity to the river, an
Agency officer immediately deployed booms
and absorbant pads to contain the pollution.
Despite checks of nearby
roads and properties it was not possible
to pinpoint the source of the oil. It is
thought it was probably poured from a drum-sized
container. Returning the following day the
Agency officer found the anti-pollution
equipment had been tampered with.
‘Emptying waste engine
oil down a drain is an offence that carries
a fine of up to £30,000. Such behaviour
is highly anti-social and irresponsible
because of the damage it can do to our streams
and rivers. All waste oil should be taken
to an authorised refuse facility for safe
disposal,’ said John Wiles for the Environment
Agency.
‘Fortunately, on this
occasion, we were alerted by two members
of the public and could deploy our anti-pollution
equipment in time. The outcome could have
been more serious if the oil had found its
way into the river,’ said John Wiles.
It was particularly
disappointing, he added, to discover that
one of the booms had been tampered with
and debris thrown into the oil-stained ditch
below the outfall.
As a result of the incident,
George Wimpey Bristol, the property company
behind the housing development at Kingscourt
Meadow arranged for a local waste oil contractor
to clean-up the outfall and sent a letter
to homes in the vicinity to make people
aware of the pollution and remind them to
dispose of any waste oil responsibly.
A photo of the contaminated
outfall pipe is available from the Environment
Agency’s regional press office on 01392
442008.
Members of the public
can report environmental crimes or pollution
incidents by calling the Environment Agency’s
free 24 hour hotline 0800 80 70 60.
+ More
Pollution spill lands
agricultural contractor in court
An agricultural contractor
was today ordered to pay £4,536 in
fines and costs after farm slurry escaped
into a Wiltshire stream killing dozens of
fish. The case was brought by the Environment
Agency.
James Bell was asked
by the owner of Snarlton Farm, Melksham
to pump out a slurry store at the farm.
On August 17, 2007 the defendant sent staff
to the farm and they started spreading slurry
on fields using a tractor, pump and umbilical
pipe.
The same day the Agency
started receiving reports of dead fish in
the Clackers Brook in Melksham. An officer
arrived and saw the stream was heavily discoloured.
Inspecting a nearby field he noticed it
was ‘sodden with a foul smelling liquid.’
There were numerous dead fish in the brook
including minnows, gudgeon and bullhead.
The next day more dead
fish were discovered on a 40 metre stretch
of the Clackers Brook near a local supermarket
and children’s play area. The casualties
included a dead freshwater mussel.
Water samples taken
downstream of Snarlton Farm contained high
levels of ammonia and depleted dissolved
oxygen – signs of slurry pollution. When
questioned by an Agency officer, the farmer,
Richard Stainer, said the field beside the
brook had been very wet and too much slurry
had been applied.
A court heard contracting
staff had earlier been instructed by the
farmer to spread the slurry on two fields
including a field beside the Clackers Brook.
The tractor driver was asked not to spread
too close to the brook.
The spill polluted a
2.5 km stretch of the Clackers Brook from
the farm to where the stream flows into
the Bristol Avon.
‘Great care must be
taken when spreading farm slurry because
of the harm it can cause to fish and other
aquatic life when it escapes into our streams
and rivers. On this occasion the defendant
failed to observe the Code of Good Agricultural
Practice and as a result a stream was badly
polluted and a number of fish died,’ said
Chris Povey for the Environment Agency.
James Bell, of J Bell
& Son Agricultural Contractors, Remo
Farm, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, was today
fined £1,800 and ordered to pay £2,736
costs by Chippenham magistrates after pleading
guilty to causing polluting matter, namely
slurry and or dirty water, to enter controlled
waters at Snarlton Farm, Melksham on August
17, 2007 contrary to Section 85 of the Water
Resources Act 1991.
Salmon Home Coming Project
receives fantastic national award
Environment Agency Wales’ Salmon Homecoming
project finished a fantastic second place
in the Education category at the prestigious
Waterways Renaissance Awards in Liverpool.
The project has worked
with more than 1,300 primary school children
in the South Wales valleys teaching them
about the life cycle of the Atlantic salmon.
For the past six years,
small-scale salmon hatcheries have been
set up in classrooms where pupils care for
salmon eggs until they hatch. These are
then moved to the Cynrig hatchery to grow
until ready for release. The children visit
the hatchery for a tour and to see salmon
in different life stages, along with many
of the salmon’s natural predators. They
then collect the fish that were hatched
in their school and take them back to their
local river for release.
Environment Agency Wales
has been working in partnership with local
angling groups and schools to introduce
the children to fishing.
Chris Rees, Fisheries
Team Leader, Environment Agency Wales said:
“I am absolutely thrilled
that this important project has been recognised
by the Waterways Renaissance Awards.
“Our staff are dedicated
to this project and take real pride in their
work with the children. The team fully deserve
this award and I’m proud of them for doing
so well.
“All of the schools
we have worked with so far have found the
Salmon Homecoming project an important part
of their pupils’ education. The project
grows year on year and getting this award
is acknowledgement for the hard work of
my team.”
Roger Hanbury, Chief
Executive of The Waterways Trust, praised
the Salmon Homecoming Project and the hard
work of the officers involved. He said:
“The Salmon Homecoming
project is an excellent example of what
can be achieved with vision, commitment
and partnership working. The modern renaissance
of our waterways continues to transform
our natural environment, creating education
and learning opportunities, injecting new
life into formerly neglected areas and bringing
communities together.”
