Latest news with #EnvironmentAgency
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Deep concern' over water pollution at bathing site
An MP has urged water bosses to take action over pollution. Beccy Cooper, MP for Worthing West, is seeking an 'urgent meeting' with Southern Water due to 'continuing failures' regarding water contamination. Worthing Beach House, a bathing water site located near Splashpoint Leisure Centre, was designated poor by the Environment Agency last year, meaning swimming is not advised. Ms Cooper has described the water quality as "extremely poor' and said she has 'deep concerns'. Her statement said: 'I know that Worthing Borough Council have worked hard to achieve bathing water status by recruiting volunteer 'citizen scientists' to monitor pollution levels at this and other sites, only to find that the water off Beach House in particular is of such a poor quality that the public are advised not to swim in it. Worthing West MP Beccy Cooper (Image: Supplied) 'I am very alarmed that repeated pollution incidents will continue to impact public health and our coastal environment as we move into the busy bathing season and would like to seek reassurance that Southern Water is doing everything in its power to prevent this – as has clearly not been the case up to now. 'On behalf of my constituents therefore, can you please inform me of the causes of this recent decline in water quality and give me details of immediate and long-term measures being taken to prevent further pollution events. 'I would also like to see detailed information on your work with the council and Environment Agency to monitor and respond to water quality issues. READ MORE: Lake identified as a potential source of contamination at beach 'Furthermore, I would like to see improved transparency on this from Southern Water, with more open and regular communication with the public, especially during the summer season. 'Finally, I would like to request a formal written response on the issue and to suggest that as a matter of urgency we meet to discuss this and other matters further.' A spokesman for Southern Water said: 'We're pleased that Dr Cooper shares our concern for bathing water quality and we have been in contact to arrange a meeting to discuss how bathing water quality can be improved. 'There are many causes of contamination in bathing water – agricultural and road runoff, wildlife and human behaviour on the beach to name a few. 'On the official government website, it has been noted by the Environment Agency that at Worthing Beach House the likely main source of contamination is 'urban diffuse pollution entering through the surface water system'. 'This means the work of our misconnections team, which tracks down loos and washing machines wrongly connected to surface water drains instead of our sewer system, is vital to continue to improve bathing water quality. 'We are also investing in sewer investigations and rehabilitation where needed.'
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Yorkshire Water fined over sewage leak in Foss Dike near York
Yorkshire Water has been fined £350,000 after a watercourse was polluted with spill happened at Foss Dike, near York, in March 2018 close to a faulty pumping station the company knew was broken, the Environment Agency Water was fined at York Magistrates' Court on Friday, having previously pleaded guilty to two offences related to the incident last November. In a statement to the BBC, Yorkshire Water apologised for the incident and said it was investing more than £8bn into its infrastructure. The Environment Agency said Yorkshire Water had been aware Fossbridge Sewage Pumping Station's backup pump had not been working for five months prior to the issue had been repeatedly flagged during maintenance checks and should have been fixed within 24 hours, the authority said. 'Mistakes were made' The Environment Agency said that high rainfall was not a valid reason for the spillage, as sewage could only be discharged into the watercourse in an emergency. Martin Christmas, area environment manager for the Environment Agency, said: "Water companies have a responsibility to ensure their assets are maintained and in working order to protect the environment."Yorkshire Water failed to take action despite being aware of the risks posed by one of its pumps being out of action, which led to a sewage spill."A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said the pump was subsequently fixed after the incident and had remained functional said: "We take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously and we apologise that in this instance; mistakes were made that meant we fell below our usual standards on our systems and processes. "We acknowledged these with the Environment Agency and cooperated fully with their investigation."We have conducted a full review and addressed the issues that had been identified." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Mapped: Where hosepipe bans could come into effect after major drought warning
A hosepipe ban could be on the cards this summer, experts have warned, following one of the driest springs on record. The Environment Agency (EA) said Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire have moved from 'prolonged dry weather ' to 'drought' status. Despite recent rain, water levels in the region remain low, the EA said, although no other areas of the country are in drought. There are no current plans to impose a hosepipe ban. Dr Jess Neumann, associate professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said the northwest of England had seen the driest spring in nearly 100 years, which led to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers. She told The Independent: "The risk of a hosepipe ban in England is currently at a "medium level" according to the EA following an unseasonably dry spring across most of the country. 'In the North West, there is a good chance that water-saving measures will need to be introduced if there continues to be a lack of rain in the region. 'However it is hopeful that with a change in weather called a hosepipe ban) can be avoided." The map below shows the areas in the UK where a potential hosepipe ban could be implemented if the drought continues: When a hosepipe ban – officially called a temporary use ban – is imposed, people are banned from using them for things such as watering their gardens, filling a paddling pool and washing their cars. People who breach the ban without permission from the water company could be fined up to £1,000. The EA said hosepipe bans were a matter for water companies, but they were expected to follow their drought plans, taking appropriate steps to reduce demand and leakage, to ensure more water is left in the environment for farmers and wildlife. United Utilities, the region's water company, said the EA's drought status for the North West doesn't have any immediate impact on customers but has encouraged customers to use water wisely. A spokesperson said: 'We are grateful for the support of customers as we've seen demand reduce thanks to their efforts in saving water where they can, combined with more recent rainfall and cooler temperatures. 'Reservoirs, however, are still lower than we'd expect at this time of year and so we're continuing to move water around our integrated network to get it to where it is needed, as well as bringing extra water into the system from other sources around the region. 'Leakage is at its lowest level and we're repairing record volumes, with customers supporting us by reporting more leaks and we'd ask that they continue to do that as well as doing all they can to save and recycle water, to help protect their local environment.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Irish Sun
Drought is declared in UK as ‘lost village' re-emerges with millions facing restrictions… check if your area is affected
MILLIONS of Brits could face water restrictions after a drought was declared in part of the country with the dry conditions seeing a 'lost village' re-emerge. The Environment Agency has imposed a drought status on the north-west of England after it has experienced the driest start to spring for 69 years. Advertisement 6 The remains of Mardale Green have re-emerged due to dry conditions in the North West of England Credit: SWNS 6 Beachgoers line-up in the sunshine at Polzeath, Cornwall, for an ice cream. While the UK has seen hot and sunny weather across the country the North West has been the worst affected Credit: Alamy 6 An old road and walls and buildings that were once part of Mardale village have been revealed by drought Credit: Getty Groundwater levels and river flows have been declining caused by the dry conditions in March, April and early May. Storage levels in reservoirs in the region have also been receding and are currently lower than they were at this time during the 1984, 1995 and 2022 drought years. There are currently no hose pipe bans in force in any part of the UK but earlier this month the Environment Agency warned water companies that more must be done to safeguard water supplies. Water companies are responsible for imposing any water restrictions, such as a hose pipe ban, which can restrict water usage. Advertisement Read More on UK News Companies can enforce a Temporary Use Ban using the guidelines set out in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. These bans can restrict or prohibit activities like watering gardens and washing cars. A water authority can bring in a ban if it believes it is experiencing, or may experience, a serious shortage of water for distribution across a certain area. However, the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 does not define what is meant by a "serious shortage". Advertisement Most read in The Sun Latest The agency has put a drought plan in place to deal with the dry weather, and to regulate United Utilities in order to "make the best use of available water whilst also protecting the environment". A spokesperson for United Utilities, which supplies water to millions of people in the North West, said demand had reduced due to the water-saving measures done by its customers, along with the recent rainfall and milder temperatures. Mysterious 300-year-old sunken town remerges in dried up lake as ruins of church and houses remerge from the mud The arid conditions have seen what remains of the 'lost village' of Mardale Green in the Lake District re-emerge. Those who lived there were forced to leave when the village was flooded on September 15, 1935, but due to the dry conditions, the remnants of the place can now be seen after the water level receded. Advertisement The The recent In light of the drought status, the regulator has increased their operational response and ensured water companies step up their actions as laid out in their drought plans. This includes fixing leaks, communicating with customers and supporting them to reduce demand, and submitting drought permits to take more water, as needed. Advertisement If these measures are taken in a timely manner it is expected to help preserve supplies for homes and the environment. While the North West has seen a dry start to the year, it is a mixed picture for other parts of the England . A meeting of the National Drought Group, comprising the Environment Agency and Defra ministers, is due to be held on June 5 to assess the situation across the country. Andy Brown, Water Regulation Manager at the Environment Agency, said: 'Drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Advertisement 'As we see more impacts from climate change heavier rainfall and drier summers will become more frequent. 'This poses an enormous challenge over the next few decades. 'Despite the rain over the weekend levels remain low and we are encouraging people to be aware of the impacts of drought as we enter the summer period. 'With further unsettled periods and rainfall over the coming weeks we will continue to closely monitor the situation and implement our Drought Plan.' Advertisement Defra has also announced today that the Environment Secretary was stepping in to speed up delivery for the first two major reservoirs since the 1990s as part of the government's action to secure the water supply. Mardale Green and the neighbouring village of Measand were submerged in order to create one of the UK's largest reservoirs, which is known as Haweswater Reservoir. The aim was for it to supply Manchester with water for 100 years. It's creation meant hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes. Advertisement What is a drought? There is no one single definition of a drought which is used by Defra although the most obvious is that it is a period of low rainfall. However, the nature, timing and the impact it has on people, the environment, agriculture or business can vary. Some droughts can be short and intense, triggered by a hot and dry summer. Others can be much longer, taking time to develop over a number of seasons, caused by low amounts of rainfall. The main types of drought, according to Defra, which may occur separately or together are: Agricultural drought – when there isn't enough rainfall and moisture in soils to support crop production or farming practices such as spray irrigation. Environmental drought – when lack of rainfall has a detrimental impact on the environment and ecology. Water supply drought – when a lack of rainfall leads to concerns from water companies about supplies for their customers. The Environment Agency will monitor a number of indicators – including rainfall, river flows, groundwater levels, reservoir storage, ecology, public water supplies - and will decide the level of drought an area is in. Defra uses four stages to describe and manage any response: Prolonged dry weather – this period is characterised as the early stages of drought where we find there has been a period of dry weather and this is impacting on river flows, groundwater levels and water levels in lakes and reservoirs. Drought Severe drought Recovering from drought. It also meant 97 bodies had to be dug up and reburied in a graveyard in the nearby Shap. Mardale Church, which had seating for 50 people, held its last service in August 1935, with the Bishop of Carlisle leading the proceedings. The service was packed out and hundreds of others were forced to wait outside. Parts of the church can still be seen today when the water level drops. Advertisement The local pub, the Dun Bull Inn, along with houses and farms were demolished to make way for the reservoir. The inn made a name for itself due to its hot buttered rum. It was popular with the locals as it was used by famers and hunters in the area to host fairs, dances, feasts as well as sales. Not everyone was happy with the village being destroyed as renowned fell walker Alfred Wainwright protested the move, having visited Mardale Green in 1930. Advertisement He described the destruction of the village as 'the rape of Mardale'. The last time people were able to walk through what is left of the village was in July 2022. 6 Mardale was flooded in 1935 to make way for the creation of the Haweswater Reservoir Credit: SWNS 6 The last time people were able to walk through what is left of the village was in July 2022 Credit: Getty Advertisement 6 West Bay, Dorset, just two days ago. A meeting of the National Drought Group is due to be held on June 5 to assess the situation across the country Credit: Alamy
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Climate
- Bloomberg
Allegra Stratton: Can Reservoirs Come Fast Enough for the UK?
Drought is here! Thus spoke the Environment Agency this week — not the Book of Genesis. It's something the Readout said could come weeks back, but it being in the north-west of England was not top of anyone's bingo card. The area is famous for its wet weather, with a long running gag that rain stops Lancashire Cricket Club winning as many county championships as Yorkshire. So the news that there's now a drought there is definitely a man-bites-dog story.
