Why the environment agency is useless
Channel: Fishwish
Date: 2023-02-21

Wessex Water are continueing to deny a blatant spill of sewage waste in the Bristol Avon at Saltford and the Environment Agency are seemingly complicit as they have closed the case.  At the same time, the Rowing Club only a mile up river have succeeded in attracting BBC and ITV news coverage of the same issue, prompting Wessex Water to offer a contract cleaning operation.  When I logged this incident in January, Wessex Water responded quickly - they took a couple of photos of the river next to the nearest convenient parking point.  Then called to say it's all plastic - not sewage (see Saltford Sessions Part 6 to hear their response).  I then recieved a phone call a week later from someone more senior, who reiterated the claim that the waste was 95% plastic general waste and that the Environment Agency (EA) carried out their own inspection and had closed the incident case.  So...I thought I would pop down to the river and see if the sewage waste was still there.  Despite giving extremely clear and precise location details, both organisations have chosen to investigate small alternative areas to try and evidence that there is no case to be made.   What is the point in allowing water utility companies to regulate themselves if they cannot act responsibly?  What is the point in having an Environment Agency, if they are complicit with such blatant ineptitude and potential deceit?

The Rivers Trust sewage map can be viewed here: https://theriverstrust.org/sewage-map