Farmers, water companies and homeowners need to take action against water pollution - Yorkshire Post Letters

Why is ‘they should sort that out’, a common response to major problems? It seems everyone is expecting someone else to step up to fix things. But this approach clearly isn’t working, not least with environmental issues that affect us all.

Water companies insist that half the pollution comes from farms; farmers say it’s all down to water companies; and most of us do nothing at all. Better, surely, if all concerned focused on effective immediate action they could take, and just got on with it. Some suggestions, as follows.

Water Companies could act faster, knowing that extra surge tanks would reduce spillages. They could adapt operating procedures to increase capacity, perhaps by running the plants as empty as possible every day (no more hiding behind a licence to pollute).

Farmers could stop spreading slurry close to the streams and rivers on their land. Perhaps install cattle troughs to stop the stock standing in the river to drink and conserve more hedges to reduce run-off and improve biodiversity.

Homeowners could play their part in reducing storm overflows by choosing slow-draining water butts and getting neighbours to do the same (as in the successful free scheme on the Isle of Wight).

They could support local tree-planting schemes that reduce flood risk. Or invest in soakaways to stop rainwater from roofs going into shared drains and overwhelming the local sewage plant.

Many small actions add up to significant change and can prompt new Government policy. Just pointing fingers and getting grumpy doesn’t solve anything.