vote green on 4th may to end sewage pollution
Thanet Green Party has long campaigned against the pollution of the sea but today the BBC reports that it is a key issue in the local elections.
"Two weeks before voters in parts of England and in Northern Ireland go to the polls to choose new councillors, those in office are swimming against a tide of public anger at water companies dumping untreated, raw sewage.
Most waste water travels to sewage works to be treated but under "exceptional circumstances", companies are allowed to pump the excess into the sea and rivers to prevent homes and roads being flooded with it.
However, EA figures show this is not occasional. Last year, sewage was pumped into England's waterways for a total of 1.75 million hours - 825 times a day on average."
To read the full article on the BBC website click here.
national scandal : Renationalise water
The Green Party, which wants to see the water industry renationalised, said firms could not go on being "rewarded for failure". Its co-leader Adrian Ramsay has called for a halt to dividend payouts to shareholders. Since privatisation in 1989 the water companies have paid out around £66 billion in dividends while providing an ever deteriorating service to the public.
England and Wales are the only countries in the World with a fully privatised water and sewage disposal system.
Southern water
Here in Thanet our local water provider Southern Water has long been the target of public anger.
Thanet beaches have had to be closed because of various sewage out flows and in another twist in the tale of creaking infrastructure water supplies have interrupted on several occasions.
The company comes fifth in the shameful national list of polluters having poured raw sewage into the rivers and seas of Kent and Sussex for a staggering 146,819 hours in 2022.
Southern Water claim they are trying to address the problems but as Thanet green Party councillor Mike Garner points out they are not tackling the real and more expensive questions of infrastructure and under investment
plan of action : step one vote green
If you want to get involved in the fight to keep the beaches open and the seas clean enough to swim in the first step is to vote for the Green Party in the local elections on 4th May.
The Green Party is the only party that pledges to renationalise our water and bring it back under public control. And the Thanet Green Party is dedicated to fighting the people's corner, holding Southern Water to account and demanding a sewage and water system suitable for the 21st century.
If you want to get more involved, step two is to get writing!
WRITE to Southern Water CEO asking for an explanation as to what is happening. Why is there no progress being made to upgrade the infrastructure? Southern Water CEO's email address is Lawrence.Gosden@southernwater.co.uk
WRITE to TDC Council Leader asking what she is doing to hold Southern Water to account. Are you chasing Southern Water to clean up the beaches? When is the next Southern Water Stakeholder Meeting? The Leader’s email address is cllr-ash.ashbee@thanet.gov.uk
And cc Lisa Collingwood, Beach & Coast Manager (lisa.collingwood@thanet.gov.uk)
WRITE to your MP:
Craig MacKinlay (South Thanet) is craig.mackinlay.mp@parliament.uk
Sir Roger Gale (North Thanet) is galerj@parliament.uk or local office is suzy@galemail.com
WRITE to Keir Starmer (keir.starmer.mp@parliament.uk) asking what action he is going to take if he becomes Prime Minister.