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What has Save Our Swale been up to?

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We have had a busy couple of months since our last update in February. Please read on to find out more about what we've been up to and how you can get involved.


Time is running out! 23rd April deadline!

Have your say in the Government's Independent Water Commission.

The 23rd April is the deadline to get your voice heard in order to shape the future management of our water.

Contributing to the Government's Commission has not been made easy - one may almost think they don't actually want to hear our views on the matter?

Both River Action and Surfers Against Sewage have put together information to help you navigate the Commission's complex structure. Choose how you'd like to respond from the options below:



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You may have caught SOS volunteers Keith Thomas and Hilary Plews on Channel 4 News on Thursday 27th March (still available on catch up - see below!)


As DEFRA were releasing their Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) data that day, Channel 4 were keen to film Citizen Science in action. Keith and Hil did a sterling job, getting across our outrage at the fact that sewage is still being regularly dumped in our rivers and seas and we are paying a premium for this!

Side note: whilst on-site, Channel 4 filmed one CSO releasing into the river, despite it being dry and despite by admission in Yorkshire Water's own monthly situation report that rainfall for the Swale in the month of March had been notably low (THIS IS ILLEGAL!). When Channel 4 reported this to Yorkshire Water they were told it was groundwater infiltration into a cracked pipe - hmmm - lack of investment maybe?

Cue lots of Yorkshire Water activity in and around the area of Station Bridge the day after and subsequently.

The power of TV!



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Save Our Swale has a website!

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We also have a Bluesky account in addition to our other social media: @saveourswale.bsky.social


People's Commission Events

As mentioned in February's newsletter, the People's Commission events are organised by the Sewage Campaign Network (of which SOS is a member) and runs alongside the Government's own Water Commission. Findings from these events will be presented to Parliament by a delegation of the Sewage Campaign Network in July.

Volunteers from SOS attended two of the events and you can access more detail and the output of the events below.

Online event: International Water Systems Event

Examples shared of the re-municipalisation of the water sector in other countries which has delivered better service, cleaner water and cheaper bills.


Knaresborough in person event: Resilient Water Systems


Presentations and discussions on how we can build a resilient water system.




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Treatment Works Visit


SOS recently made an on-site visit to Richmond Treatment works. This links directly to SOS Objective 3: challenge Yorkshire Water to ensure local sewage system (Waste Water Treatment Works) is fit for purpose.

Three members of SOS were given a tour of the site to see first-hand the current state of the treatment works. There is currently activity to refurbish three storm tanks which would in effect help to reduce storm overflows directly into the river. However, this won't affect overall treatment and SOS are concerned about the high levels of coliform readings from the treated sewage outlet pipe at the works. Further investigation and research to be completed by SOS, but do read our article in the D&S and the stock response from Yorkshire Water.



Invertebrate Monitoring


The fabulous Invertebrate Monitoring volunteers, co-ordinated by Sally Reckert, have been busy at their various sites catching, identifying, then releasing invertebrates. The presence of these little fellas is a positive indicator of river health. Unfortunately, at our Brompton site we have yet to spot a single one! This is unsurprising as it correlates with the high levels of pollution identified at Brompton through our Water Quality Monitoring programme. Much more work to do there.


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Photo of tombola at the coffee morning

SOS held a coffee morning at the Town Hall in Richmond on the 8th February and raised a total of £397.75. Thank you to all our volunteers who donated cakes, raffle and tombola prizes and who helped out on the day. A great achievement!



Save Our Swale Objectives & Key Actions for 2025

Thank you to all of those who attended our November session and input to our objectives and actions for 2025. Here is the summary of the output of that session:


Objective 1: Achieve interim self-designation by end-March 2025: achieve Designated Bathing Water Status (DBWS) by end-March 2026.

Actions:

  1. Installation of self-designation signage - end March 2025

  2. Hold promotional events, e.g. market stalls, coffee mornings, public meetings - ongoing

  3. Data collection on river users for DBWS completed - end of September 2025

  4. Produce promotional materials and consultation documents for DBWS to be shared - end of April 2025

  5. Submission of application as per revised DBWS criteria - Oct 2025

Objective 2: Hold Yorkshire Water, OFWAT, the EA and the Government to account

Actions:

  1. Publish results of monthly water quality and invertebrate monitoring - ongoing

  2. Prepare positioning statement on PR24 price increase - end Feb 2025

  3. Prepare campaign strategy for promoting non-payment of water bills campaign - end of Feb 2025

  4. 2025 Monitoring Programme of water quality and invertebrates agreed - end of Jan 2025

Objective 3: Challenge Yorkshire Water to ensure local sewage system (Waste Water Treatment Works) is fit for purpose.

Actions:

  1. Establish current capacity of WWTW - end March 2025

  2. Identify Future requirements - end of Quarter 1

  3. Present findings to stakeholders via public meeting, written report, press and media campaign - end of Quarter 2

River Festival 2025?


At the November session, there was support for holding a festival later in 2025 to celebrate the river and to create interest and involvement across the whole community. SOS would love to have such an event. To do this, we would need a separate sub-committee (with experience of events organising) to take this idea forward.


If you feel this is something you would like to become involved with, or you know of someone who would, please contact us on saveourswale@gmail.com.


Get involved!

Are you feeling annoyed about paying for a service that you are not receiving? Fed up with sewage being dumped into our river? Sickened about the absence of investment and the obscene shareholder dividends and Water Executives' bonuses? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you probably agree that privatisation hasn't worked.


Clive Lewis, MP, is tabling a Water (Special Measures) Bill on the 28th March to put water ownership back on the agenda and he needs the support of MPs representing your views to turn up and support the bill.


Clive explains what the Water (Special Measures) Bill is about in this video on his Facebook page.




Keep informed

Save Our Swale is part of a wider network of campaign groups, all of which come under the umbrella of the Sewage Campaign Network.


Click the link to view their campaign: https://www.sewagecampaignnetwork.org.uk/


The founding members of the group include Save Windermere, and this month we wanted to shine a spotlight on the successful campaign which they are running and the positive impact they are having, holding United Utilities to account. A key focus for the Save Windermere campaign has been the ineffective treatment works at Far Sawrey. The linked report from their blog details their approach and the subsequent environmental improvements their campaign has secured.


Dates for the Diary


SOS will be on Richmond Market on the following dates this year:

  • 15th March

  • 19th July

  • 6 Sept

Come along to see us and find out more about our campaign and what activities we are currently involved in.

The next Water Quality Monitoring Session is Sunday 23rd Feb. More detail will follow in a separate email to all WQM volunteers.

 
 
 

March for Clean Water

SOS Volunteers at the Clean Water March
SOS Volunteers at the Clean Water March

SOS members attended the March for Clean Water in London on 3rd November. Hilary Plews, SOS Campaign Member, had this to say about the experience:

'Very heartening to be among so many committed water campaigners. Hope those now in power watching the coverage of the march recognise the strength of feeling up and down the country. People want this mess sorted. It's the Government's job to sort it. No dithering, no tinkering. Just sort it or massively haemorrhage good will and trust that you can change anything.'


SOS Seminar
SOS Seminar

Sunday 24th November

SOS held a seminar attended by 30 participants on Sunday 24th. The purpose was to celebrate the group's achievements over the past year, to thank all volunteers and to invite discussion on the direction of the group in the coming year.


Deborah Meara and Keith Thomas both presented and there was light entertainment provided by Rantin' Richie. After the break the group got together to discuss the outlined objectives and to offer their views on what should be a priority for 2025. The seminar input will be summarised and shared in our next newsletter.


Take Action!

Designated Bathing Water Status: DEFRA Consultation deadline 23rd December 2025

The Government has launched a consultation to reform Bathing Water Regulations. The old legislation is not fit for purpose and radical change is needed.

There are five main areas in the consultation. Please see our views on these in italics below.

Expanding the definition of 'bathers' to include all water users. Anyone using the water can potentially ingest the water. All are at risk if the water is polluted. There is no difference between someone who swims, paddles or uses a kayak: all water users should be counted.

Removing fixed bathing season dates. If people use the waterway recreationally all year then designation should reflect this.


Introducing multiple monitoring points to better classify water quality. Monitoring points must reflect the points where the water users access the river and take into account the CSO's and any other sources of pollution along the designated stretch.


Removing automatic de-designation for sites that get 'poor' for 5 years. There should NOT be automatic de-designation after 5 years of receiving a 'poor' water quality standard. Ilkley have shown that designation and access to the OFWAT Accelerator programme means infrastructure can be secured to achieve safe water. This can take outside of the 5 years. Extending this, however, potentially means reduced motivation and urgency to clean up the water and an extended risk to people and wildlife.


Deciding if it is feasible to improve a site's water quality to at least 'sufficient', and using that as a criterion for final designation. We feel this is a get out clause: all waterways should be at least sufficient and the starting point should be to achieve that and continue to improve.


Please complete the online survey before December 23rd by clicking the button below.



Surfers Against Sewage petition


We've had the message below from Surfers Against Sewage: please consider signing their petition:


"We urgently need your help.

Because of your campaigning, the government is taking the first legal steps to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas, by introducing the Water (Special Measures) Bill. Thank you.

But there's a huge risk that this new law, which is passing through parliament right now, will leave billpayers and taxpayers on the hook for paying off water company debts and shareholders. 😲🤬



We're working non-stop behind the scenes to persuade Keir Starmer to amend this fundamentally flawed bill, but we need to show that the public demand this change too.

For all us water-lovers, this cause really is a three-line whip. Will you sign this urgent petition today?



Profiting from pollution must never be permitted, let alone be enshrined in law.

And that's why we are also calling for government to use this Bill to abolish Ofwat's farcical duty to deliver profits for water company shareholders (yes, Deborah, that's really what they are legally obliged to do), and replace it with a legal duty to protect the environment and public health.

This is an urgent call. We really need your support. Please take 30 seconds to sign the petition, and help us outlaw profiting from pollution



For the full lowdown on what we're calling for, and why, head to the petition page now, and scroll down to the FAQs section.


Thanks for your support ✊🌊

For the ocean,

Team SAS"


How to buy water-friendly products


Choosing less polluting and more sustainable products, and then disposing of them safely, can help keep our seas and rivers clean. From plastics to chemicals and pharmaceuticals, this article from Which? magazine will help you choose well.




Shout Out To:

SOS would like to thank Richmond Town Council for their public support of our campaign. The resolution, proposed by Councillor World and seconded by Councillor Harris was discussed at the September meeting and recorded as follows in the council minutes:


RESOLVED: to express support for both self-designation of bathing water status and the DEFRA application (once opened) for the River Swale in Richmond.


Also a huge thank you to Ian Woods who has donated £150 to SOS from his Mayor's Charity Fund 2023/2024. SOS is completely independent of any funding from water companies, the regulators etc, donations such as this really help us achieve the work we do.


Dates for the Diary


  • 19th January: RICAP are holding an Eco Fair from 09.30am-12.30pm at Richmond School. The event will focus on local environmental issues and SOS are delighted to have a stall there. Come along and say hello!

  • The next Water Quality Monitoring Session is Sunday 26th Jan. More detail will follow in a separate email to all WQM volunteers.

 
 
 

Make a donation

If you would like to support the efforts of Save Our Swale and help keep the River Swale clean for all to enjoy, please make a donation here.

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