Calls for water summit in Cornwall
It would bring together environmental charities, community campaigners, South West Water and Cornwall Council
A motion is being put to Cornwall councillors calling for a water summit.
The idea will be debated at a full council meeting today (Tuesday 16 September).
It's looking at ways to improve water quality across the Duchy, bringing together environmental charities, community campaigners, South West Water and Cornwall Council.
In a motion tabled for debate at Cornwall Council’s full council meeting on 16th September Councillor Ruth Gripper describes the sewage crisis as “a national scandal” and highlights the need to protect Cornwall’s environment for future generations.
The motion would also see the appointment of a Water Quality champion from among council members. This voluntary post would help to keep the spotlight on this issue.
She said:
"People are rightly furious about the issue of sewage pollution. It’s been going on for too long, and it happens far too often. We need South West Water to invest in infrastructure to tackle this problem. A new chief executive will be coming in, and I want to make sure they know how important this is to people in Cornwall.
"But we also need to make sure that as a council and as a wider community we are doing everything we can to address the issue. That’s what the summit is about – bringing people together to explore the challenges and work constructively towards finding solutions."
Councillor Jim Candy, who seconded the motion, swims at his local beaches at least two days every week all year round. He said:
"I welcome the opportunity to engage with a new CEO of South West Water now that we have a new administration at Cornwall Council, and 6 new MPs in the Duchy. Sea swimmers have relied on the Safer Seas and Rivers Service (SSRS) app provided by Surfers Against Sewage, and welcome the campaigning they have done, with other voluntary groups, to help us swim safely.
"I welcome the new SW Water app, WaterFit Live, which provides data on all Combined Sewer Overflows that can cause pollution, which helps inform us about any risks. Whilst recognizing that the current system is outdated, some dating back to Victorian times, we all need to work together for the health and wellbeing of our wildlife habitats, and tourists and residents."
South West Water say: "We are serious about tackling storm overflows and change of this scale takes time, ambition, and increased investment. We are working hard to actively reduce our use of storm overflows across the region as part of our £3.2 billion investment programme.
"There is more to do and we are moving in the right direction driven by our determination to deliver on our customers' priorities."