Research has found that harmful chemicals have been found in 81% of our rivers and lakes. Of 1,006 river and lake sites with data, 814 were found to have toxic chemical mixtures, according to analysis of data collected by the government’s Environment Agency.
When mixed these chemical cocktails have a disastrous impact on water species including amphibians, fish, insects, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and algae. The adverse effects on these creatures included stunted growth, reduced cell function and lower survival rates.
Prospective Green Party parliamentary candidate Gavin Hawkton said:
“We must take better care of our waterways for the sake of environmental and public health. The government monitors and regulates individual levels of chemicals but it is this damaging mix of substances that is being ignored”.
This news comes after Environment Agency data suggested that six of the ten longest sewage discharges last in in England happened in Cumbria.
Gavin adds: “Currently water companies are dumping, almost without impunity, sewage into our rivers, waterways, and coastal waters. This is a disaster as our rivers and lakes are facing ecological collapse as a result”.“
The failure of privatisation is clear to see. Over the last 30 years £57bn that should have gone into improving infrastructure has instead been trousered by water company executives and shareholders”.“
Water companies have announced that they are going to put up our bills by £10bn to pay for their failures. Yet, at the same time they will continue to pay £14.7bn in dividend payments to their shareholders by the end of this decade”.
“The transfer of wealth from families paying inflated bills to the pockets of shareholders is a scandal given the state of our waterways. We need to end shareholder pay-outs in the short term and bring water companies back into public hands”.“
It is only the Green Party with the courage to demand the nationalisation of water companies that is needed.”
[ENDS]
Contact:
contact@carlisle.greenparty.org.uk GavinHawkton.GreenParty@gmail.com