17 October 2023

Faversham residents came out in force to attend a Green Party panel session on the state of our waterways last Tuesday. There was standing room only at the session, catchily titled “Turds on the Tide!” where experts and activists responded to questions about the causes and consequences of poor water quality in the area and what we as individuals can do about it.

 

The packed event was held at the Alexander Centre in Faversham on Tuesday the 10^th of October

Attendees heard from Emeritus Professor of Environmental Toxicology Ian Grant, representative of Friends of the Westbrook Matthew Hatchwell, representative of Faversham and Villages Water Quality Group (FAVWAT) Ken Pugh, and Rose Bircham and Catherine Chapman from SOS Whitstable. The session was organized by Swale Green Party and moderated by 2019 parliamentary candidate Hannah Temple.

 

The event was moderated by Hannah Temple from Swale Green Party who is also a member of FAVWAT and has been involved in testing Faversham’s water quality

The quality of the water in our rivers and on our beaches has been a hot topic over the last year with more and more alerts that beaches are unsafe to swim in, cases of swimmers getting ill and reports documenting the poor health of our rivers.

Attendees at the Faversham session heard about the many indicators of poor health of a water system and the consequences this has for us and for wildlife. The panel also explored the causes of this poor quality including the funding and capabilities of Ofwat and the Environment Agency, high use of fertilisers and pesticides by farmers, use of non-biodegradable packaging, population changes, changes in weather patterns and greater paving over of the countryside which leads to greater flooding and use of CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflows) which transfer untreated sewage and wastewater directly into our rivers and seas when water volumes are high.

Data is currently being gathered by the various groups on levels of Phosphates, Nitrates and E.coli in the sea, streams and creek around Faversham. Although this has not yet been gathered in sufficient quantity to draw firm conclusions the clear pattern is one of high concern. Ken Pugh from FAVWAT showed some recent e.coli testing results from Stonebridge Pond and Faversham Creek which showed the very highest possible levels of e.coli the test can monitor.

 

Ken Pugh from FAVWAT showing what water should look like after testing if there is no e.coli present (on the left) and the results from Faversham Creek showing the highest recordable levels of e.coli (right)

One attendee said “I am so glad I came. I feel much more informed than when I walked through that door.”

When asked what individuals can do to improve water quality the panelists suggested that people:

• Be very careful with what they put down their drains and avoid putting sanitary products, chemicals, oils or wet wipes down drains or flushed in toilets
• Join local groups monitoring water quality and gathering data
• Vote for political parties who are prioritising this topic

The Green Party are currently the only party who have committed to renationalising the water industry as soon as practically possible.

This talk is the first in a series Swale Green party is running over the coming months. The next session will be on Green Homes and will take place at 19:30 in Lenham Village Hall on the 14^th of November. There will also be a talk on House Building which will take place in Painter’s Forstal Village Hall on the 16^th of January at the same time.

Any questions can be directed to coordinator@swale.greenparty.org.uk

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