Wild swimming? Think again

I have someone coming to dinner in a minute who is quite high up in the EA. If I get a chance I will pick some brains.

Whitewavemark2

I have someone coming to dinner in a minute who is quite high up in the EA. If I get a chance I will pick some brains.

I'd wait until after the chocolate desert to talk about sewage WWM2! Sorry!
My eldest son is environmental geologist and his company is very particular about returning the environment to how it was or an even better state after all projects have been undertaken.

Urmstongran

I wouldn’t want to dive in an break my neck on one Kali2. A trolley.
Not an otter (natch).

me neither, but we are talking about swimming here, not diving from cliffs (although, come to think of it ... metaphors and all that ....)

Neat Kali2. Neat.
I have to hand it to you.
?

I do think there is a lack of education of where is safe to swim though. It's really not a good idea to swim in quarry pits for example, no matter how inviting they look. Yet people still do it and unfortunately some drown (usually teenagers )

Oh yes! Oh well, I’ve never gone wild swimming in my life so I dare say I won’t be bothering now anyway.

I used to, Urmstongran, swimming in a local river when we were children and in a lovely clear river on Dartmoor with my own DC.
It's a pity the DGC can't do that now.

Is swimming in the sea called "wild swimming" or doesn't that count?
It would be wise to check for any sewage outlets.

vegansrock

Provision of water should NOT be profit making

It isn't in Wales, vegansrock but it doesn't seem to have made much difference - they are discharging sewage into the rivers.

But yes, I agree absolutely that Provision of water should NOT be profit making

I was reading a few days ago that many rivers in EU countries are polluted....you wouldn’t want a dip in the Seine!
It’s a problem that needs addressing and sewers updating.
The Environment Agency ( yes, including when we were in the EU) allows for so many raw human sewage disposals in rivers per year ( think that applies to all EU countries as well.)
So wild swimming in rivers has always been a risky business, as well at rat urine.Can’t understand why anyone does it.

Bleurgh‼️

So wild swimming in rivers has always been a risky business, as well at rat urine.Can’t understand why anyone does it.

Oh heck!
But we don't any more.

Have you never swam in the sea lemongrove? This is where raw sewage is being poured at the moment- solid evidence is there (a lot of it floating in the water)!

Just because some European rivers don’t meet the targets isn’t an excuse to make ours worse - our record is woeful. It’s not just for swimmers it’s wildlife and fish who need clean waterways, not to mention our beaches where your families might like to play. If you don’t care it’s your choice, but plenty of us do care for the environment and this government pretending to be green is just so much posturing.

Kali2

Have you never swam in the sea lemongrove? This is where raw sewage is being poured at the moment- solid evidence is there (a lot of it floating in the water)!

Oh, have you seen it Kali2?

Eeeek

"But yes, I agree absolutely that Provision of water should NOT be profit making"

Yet another reason why I am glad I live in Scotland, where 'not for profit' Scottish Water deal with water supply and sewage. We are not billed by a private company - simply pay a flat rate along with our Council Tax.

EU Law makes it illegal for water companies to allow raw sewage to enter water courses and seas. The UK will probably face massive law suits if this continues, as the Channel, North Sea and Atlantic do not have borders! Pollution the UK currently allows with raw sewage is mainly affecting our own coastlines, fish and wildlife, but will soon affect other countries too, France first.

So wild swimming in rivers has always been a risky business, as well at rat urine. Can’t understand why anyone does it.

I think people do it Urmstongran because it becomes part of their make up and because it is on their doorstep. My children, like GrannyActivists's were brought up practically every weekend to go to The River Dart or to the sea. I accompanied many school trips in kayaks on the Exe or swimming in the Dart.
When in London we all went into town every weekend to visit museums while breathing in all sorts of fumes, equally bad. I guess at the time I didn't give any of it too much thought, but the problem has now reached epic proportions and I need to feel I can do something, wherever I am at the time.

We do have a company which runs it, Granny23 - Dŵr Cymru or Welsh Water

They are not-for-profit but have discharged sewage into the rivers when there has been excess rainfall

Water companies are allowed to use the overflow network during periods of heavy rain to prevent flooding and stop sewage from backing up into people's homes.

^But last year alone, the storm drains lining the rivers and streams that flow into the Wye discharged sewage 40,000 times. This means raw sewage was dumped into rivers and streams for a total of 17 million minutes - the equivalent to 33 years.^

Josianne

^So wild swimming in rivers has always been a risky business, as well at rat urine. Can’t understand why anyone does it.^

I think people do it Urmstongran because it becomes part of their make up and because it is on their doorstep. My children, like GrannyActivists's were brought up practically every weekend to go to The River Dart or to the sea. I accompanied many school trips in kayaks on the Exe or swimming in the Dart.
When in London we all went into town every weekend to visit museums while breathing in all sorts of fumes, equally bad. I guess at the time I didn't give any of it too much thought, but the problem has now reached epic proportions and I need to feel I can do something, wherever I am at the time.

I wasn’t the one who asked why people did it.
?

Apologies Urm.

I am not a wild swimmer myself, but DD is and she does it because she enjoys. When the family are down we go to a wild swimming millpool just off the Thames near Lechlade, no sewer outfalls above there.

All the family, except me, will swim in the sea nearly all year round. It is fun, exhilerating and other wild swimmers are good company, I am told. I grew up and learnt to swim in the tropics, I do not swim in unheated water anywhere in the UK, not even in the height of summer.

Just because one person doesn't like an activity, is no reason to despise those who do.

I would never go to a gym, but i full appreciaate others enjoy it, even though its pleasures elude me.

Monica who is despising anyone who enjoys wild swimming?!
My comment is surprise that anyone wants to because of sewage and rat urine.If anyone wants to do it they are welcome as far as I’m concerned.
kali ...EU law is in place all right, it’s just that some EU countries choose to ignore it.Illegal dumping of raw human sewage takes place in many places in Europe, polluting rivers and the sea.
Nope, I never swim, paddle or anything else in the sea!

This- but it is NOT the point, is it!

Wildlife, be it birds, otters, dolphins, fish and all sorts of others- have NO choice but to swim in rivers and seas- where raw sewage is now being poured in vast amounts.

....and it’s a problem for many countries and will have to be sorted out.Antiquated sewers need replacing ( huge enterprise)plus anything else that can be done.Certain cities, London and Paris and Berlin just can’t cope.
Can this be done really soon? I think the answer is no.

But lemongrove you are ignoring the fact that U.K. is now enabling companies to discharge sewage without penalty ( they were fined under U.K. regs) presumably you think this is ok