The Environment Agency
has started its annual programme of
bathing water testing off the coasts of
Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
Every year between May
1 and the end of September 20 samples are
taken from each of the region’s 191 European
Commission (EC) designated bathing waters
and checked for water quality.
The samples are analysed
at the Environment Agency’s laboratory at
Starcross, Devon and measured against strict
EC mandatory and even tighter guideline
standards. They are tested for various types
of sewage-related bacteria that might pose
a threat to bathers’ health.
Compliance with mandatory
standards in recent years has been consistently
over 95%. In 2006 the south west achieved
100% compliance for the first time. Wet
weather over the last two summers saw a
slight decline in standards.
Higher than average
rainfall in 2007 and 2008 caused an increase
in storm overflows from sewers, diffuse
pollution and run-off from farmland and
urban areas. This impacted on bathing water
quality and resulted in 75% of the region’s
beaches attaining the more stringent guideline
standard compared to 89% in 2006. The mandatory
figure was 94.8% compared to 98.4% in 2007.
The quality of bathing
waters has improved markedly since 11000
as a result of £2 billion of investment
by the water industry in England and Wales.
Compliance with guideline standards in the
UK increased from 52% in 2000 to 85% in
2005.
‘The South West has
1,000 kilometres of coastline and 191 designated
bathing waters. The coastline and bathing
waters are vital to the region’s economy,
particularly in terms of their contribution
to the tourism and leisure industry, so
it is important to know the waters are of
a high quality,’ said Richard Cresswell
for the Environment Agency.
‘We will continue to
work with potential polluters in order to
maintain and further improve these already
high standards.’
Swimmers, surfers and
holidaymakers can check the quality of bathing
waters as the results are posted on the
Environment Agency’s website www.environment-agency.gov.uk
on the ‘Your Environment’ pages.
The main survey follows
pre-season sampling during March/April.
These checks are carried out at beaches
considered to be at possible risk of failure
and to identify and put right any pollution
problems before the start of main bathing
season.
+ More
Agency delivers de-silting
solution on the River Brue
The ancient market town
of Bruton in Somerset will shortly become
a hive of activity as the Environment Agency
sets to work removing tonnes of silt from
the river around Town Bridge.
The silt, which has
built-up immediately upstream and downstream
of the bridge, needs to be removed because
it poses a flood risk.
As well as reducing
the size of the river channel, the silt
has turned the area under the bridge into
a meeting place for local youths who indulge
in anti-social behaviour. Away from the
public gaze, they light fires, drink alcohol,
smoke and congregate at evenings and weekends.
With the silt removed
and flow successfully restored, the risk
of flooding in Bruton will be reduced and
anti-social activities curtailed as local
youths will no longer be able to congregate
under Town Bridge.
The de-silting will
be carried out next week by the Environment
Agency’s operations delivery staff using
lorries and lifting equipment positioned
on and under the bridge. The work, which
starts on Thursday (May 14), is expected
to take around two days. Straw bales will
be positioned in the River Brue around the
works area to prevent silt being washed
downstream.
Vegetation has been
kept down on the riverbank around the bridge
prior to de-silting to discourage nesting
birds and minimise any disturbance to wildlife.
The work coincides with
a special ‘Environmental Day’ event at Wincanton
on May 14 organised by the Police and featuring
displays by the Environment Agency, local
authorities and the police on a range of
subjects from crime prevention to the handling
and disposal of waste.
‘We’re looking forward
to be carrying out this work as part of
Environmental Day to reduce flood risk and
provide added value by helping to reduce
anti-social behaviour into the bargain,’
said Daryl Parker for the Environment Agency.
Environment Agency checks
over a hundred vehicles for unauthorised
carriage of waste
Over three days last week Environment Officers
from the Midlands, together with colleagues
from the Yorkshire and North East Region,
supported a Police led, multi-agency, vehicle
stop & search operation.
At locations around
the borders of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire
and South Yorkshire Police officers identified
suspect vehicles through an Automatic Number
Plate Recognition system.
These vehicles were
then escorted to pre-determined locations
where they were inspected by various agencies.
Those carrying waste
were inspected by the Environment Agency
and when appropriate, we questioned the
occupants to make sure they were all registered
waste carriers.
Vehicles carrying controlled
waste for profit must register with the
Environment Agency. The licence costs 152
GBP and lasts for three years.
In all, we checked over
one hundred of the vehicles stopped by Police.
Of these, fourteen were found to be already
registered as waste carriers. A further
thirty five were provided with information
sheets and application forms.
The owners of six vehicles
found to be carrying controlled waste, without
holding a waste carriers licence, face further
investigation. If prosecuted of this offence,
a fine of up to 5000 GBP can be set at a
Magistrates Court.
An Environment Officer
involved in the operation said “Unregistered
waste carriers are more likely to fly-tip
their waste as well as presenting unfair
competition to their more responsible colleagues
who have registered with us. Both householders
and businesses are legally responsible for
ensuring that their waste is disposed of
properly. If someone offers to remove your
waste cheaply, you should be suspicious.
“When using any waste
carrier always check that they are registered
with the Environment Agency by calling 08708
506506 or by looking at the public register
pages of our website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.”
Following the success
of this operation, similar exercises are
planned for the near future.
