Key Local Water Problems

 
  • No public health standards for watercourses
  • Sewers condemned as inadequate 1971 (Stroud)
  • Flash flooding from paved development
  • Increased river flooding & drought
  • Increased siltation & erosion
  • Poor aquifer recharge
  • Contamination of aquifer by nitrates & pesticides
  • Loss of biodiversity (water voles, salmon, etc)
  • Reduced watercourse capacity, rubbish, illegal development (x section profile)
  • No really effective strategies or plans in place to prevent any of the above.
  • An opportunity to introduce holistic approach that addresses all problems.

Key Critical Local Water Problems for URGENT ACTION

Sewers overflow 20 times approx annually (Highly pathogenic) Rivers major flood 1 – 2 times annually (High economic cost & stress)

  • Both problems getting worse because there is no attempt to realistically hydraulically model effects of development on run-off into either sewers or rivers. This simple, yet broadly ignored concept in terms of planning could be applied to prevent all such flooding. (Local authorities have often ignored EA advice in allowing developments).
  • Broadly, we suffer flooding (river & sewer) because we have no effective nor sound hydraulic plan to prevent these. Yet this is simple enough to achieve.
  • A broad failure ‘to take responsibility’ (… for hydraulic consequences of development) is a theme throughout the municipal water industry. Also symptomatic of ‘Society’s wider abdication of environmental responsibility’.
  • There are now planning a major re-sewering of Stroud Valleys. This is years late, will cause huge disruption, is unsustainable, will open area up to more development – and there are far cheaper, safer, economically viable alternatives (SUDS etc) available immediately for a ‘community based approach’ – that safely ‘takes responsibility’ (Community Supported Utilities etc).
  • The Environment Agency are adopting an ‘ecological approach’ to flood control). Widely supported by WWF, Defra in theory, W&WT, long previously proposed for Agenda 21, etc – yet strangely ignored in wider planning policy.
  • This is a huge opportunity open for ‘Carbon Neutral / Transition Town’ organisations to immediately set up operative sustainable sewerage / renewables co-operatives to compete, or partner with, utilities.