so what can we all do about sewage disposal?

It wouldn’t CoolCoco. Just tot up what the shareholdings are worth for starters, before you start paying specialist lawyers well over £1000 an hour each to deal with such a massive undertaking. I know of what I speak.

For those concerned about wet wipes (I share their concern), watch out for ‘luxury’ toilet paper,

A few months ago, while recovering from a fall, my daughter was looking after me. She called up from the family bathroom downstairs, (it is an ‘upside down’ house) to tell me the toilet was blocked. It turned out to be because of the thick toilet paper blocking the pipes. The plumber told me it was one of his most usual reasons for being called out.

It would cost less to take Water into public ownership than was spent on Dido Harding's Test n Trace - it's not unaffordable. When 52% of those who voted voted for Brexit it was considerded essential no matter the cost, now well over 60% of the population want water to be nationalised it should be done, we cant rely on private owners behaving responsibly.

A No10 "Spokesperson said since the industry was privatised in 1989, the equivalent of £5bn had been invested to upgrade water infrastructure."

Let me remind you during the same period Water Companies have paid out over £72bn to shareholders.

Feargal Sharkey on Twitter today.

Renationalising the water authorities would cost the taxpayer many billions. Far better to introduce strict regulations with eye watering financial penalties, not only on the authorities but their directors, for breaching them.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202208/medium-199265-holiday-home-sales.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202208/medium-630858-reverse81c-3756-1-1024x683.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202208/medium-163197-ladramsmall.jpg

^Ladram Bay
Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality. There are no sewer overflows at Ladram Bay but a treated sewage works outfall discharges south west of the beach.^

On our doorstep just today. It breaks my heart that visitors come to a beautiful part of the country and are then faced with this unacceptable situation.
(As an aside though, I do wonder how our own children grew up so healthily, never sick, spending day after day in the sea when things were visibly even worse? Strange.)

vegansrock

- Strict regulations for water companies to prevent them from ruining our waterways
- if companies do not adhere then they should be compulsorily taken into public ownership
- a move to complete renationalisation
- public investment into building more reservoirs, water treatment plants as a national priority.
- this should be treated as a national emergency

Exactly.

? grandtanteJE65

complaining on GN will not achieve much
No, not in big terms, but it will at least nake some people think more and do what they can to change.
We can't underestimate how much discussions on here serve to encite others, myself included.

Composting toilets?

vegansrock

- Strict regulations for water companies to prevent them from ruining our waterways
- if companies do not adhere then they should be compulsorily taken into public ownership
- a move to complete renationalisation
- public investment into building more reservoirs, water treatment plants as a national priority.
- this should be treated as a national emergency

Well said!

- Strict regulations for water companies to prevent them from ruining our waterways
- if companies do not adhere then they should be compulsorily taken into public ownership
- a move to complete renationalisation
- public investment into building more reservoirs, water treatment plants as a national priority.
- this should be treated as a national emergency

How can water companies afford to pay millions to their CEOs and shareholders but can’t afford to fix leaks and treat sewage properly? Surely that should be a priority.

Maggiemaybe - my mantra as well ?

Here it is

"Downing Street condemned the industry for not reducing sewage discharge and putting shareholders before customers." (BBC)

Talk about gaslighting us! The Tories voted for precisely this in October 2021. When criticised then, they said the decision was made on financial grounds.

Since then millions and millions of gallons of sewage have been dumped in the sea. Pulling the flush every other time won't help. Writing to your MP, signing the petition, backing SurfersAgainstSewage will.

evolvepolitics.com/heres-a-list-of-every-mp-who-just-voted-to-allow-water-companies-to-continue-dumping-raw-sewage-in-our-rivers/

You can use flannels for babies bottoms which you then soak in a small container and wash in washing machine with the washable nappies. There’s a firm that sells different coloured ones called cheeky wipes but it would be simple to make your own.

grandtante
I couldn’t agree more. I’m often horrified at the amount of cleaning gumph under peoples sinks.
There’s just no need for it.
The power of advertising, eh ?

IMO with all problems with our environment we should be trying to work along two seperate routes at the same time.

First look frankly at our own homes and decide which products should either never be used, or only used sparingly in the interest of the environment. The problem about doing this as a private individual is that it can be well-nigh impossible to work out which is the lesser of two evils.

To take an example named already in this thread - use less toilet paper and wash with a hand-held shower attachment or in a bidet.

Sounds fine to me - but I lack the competence to judge whether producing and destroying toilet paper does more damage evironmentally speaking than producing bidets or shower attachements plus the increased use of water for washing.

But most of us can make a start by not using disposable cloths or any kind, using as little water as possible for cleaning or flushing toilets and washing our clothes carefully.

The other thing we all should be doing has also already been suggested: insist to politicians, local water boards, sewage factories, wild-life associations etc. that this wanton destruction of our environment MUST stop NOW if there is to be a worthwhile environment for the generations that will follow us.

Chestnut

Witzend

Personally I’d like to see wet wipes removed from the shelves, since so many stupid or utterly inconsiderate people will still flush them, no matter how much they’re asked not to, because they block the pipes.
Can’t see it happening, but we used to manage perfectly well without them.

I believe at least some wet wipes are now biodegradable. If so then maybe okay for hygiene (babies and bottoms) but I really object to kitchen surface wipes, floor wipes etc. for cleaning the house. That's just lazy and unnecessary.

None of them are truly biodegradable. And no-one needs them either.

nanna 8 - yes spot on. complaining on GN will not achieve much. Also make sure you never vote for those who believe that shareholders are more important that our GCs' future.

Jump on your MPs from a great height and tell them to get their fingers out and do something about it.

Witzend

Personally I’d like to see wet wipes removed from the shelves, since so many stupid or utterly inconsiderate people will still flush them, no matter how much they’re asked not to, because they block the pipes.
Can’t see it happening, but we used to manage perfectly well without them.

I believe at least some wet wipes are now biodegradable. If so then maybe okay for hygiene (babies and bottoms) but I really object to kitchen surface wipes, floor wipes etc. for cleaning the house. That's just lazy and unnecessary.

Install one of those "bum washers" (hand held bidet) which greatly reduces the amount of toilet paper needed.

Whitewavemark2

Yes definitely a Brexit bonus.

Got rid of all the red tape don’t you know!

Even The Times today makes that very clear.

Maggiemaybe

Perhaps, for starters….If it’s brown, flush it down, if it’s yellow let it mellow?

I try to do this. But it isn't good in the hot weather. I still do but... not pleasant.