4Th Town Meeting March 2021 Ilkley Clean River Group
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Securing a clean river for people and the environment. Ilkley 4th Town Meeting March 2021 Ilkley Clean River Group If you haven’t chosen your 1 Ilkley Clean River Group breakout please identify in 2. Robbie Moore MP the chat which room you 3. Bradford Council want to go to 4. Ilkley Town Council 5. Yorkshire Water 6. Environment Agency Stop sewage Qn: Martin/ Robbie Stop YW Pumping discharge outside Please can you describe solids into the river Storm conditions our river in (UWWTD) 2 years time 5 years time Upgrade our sewage 10 years time system to cope with our population and climate change National Media 2019 Bathing Status Timeline application Collaborate on understanding More Testing sources of 2018 and meet with pollution Hold agencies national EA to to account in show the data Town Meetings Citizen Science Local Testing at Ilkley with media present Media Reporting Get the media Incidents interested Town Meeting 20th Feb 2020 • “It would be daft for us not to investigate.” “Rivers are changing and we need to respond.” “There is a will to get it done.” • Common sense if investigating storm discharges then make sense to investigate Sewage works at the time time. “Common sense will prevail.” • Richard said “if you give me a couple of weeks I will firm up our position.” The statement after the event “We continue to have positive discussions with the Ilkley Clean River Group and we will do all we can to accelerate the investigation process so we will know what future improvements may need to be made. In the meantime, our surveys have identified three underground water courses which connect with the sewage network and we are monitoring the flow of these to see if diverting them would make a significant difference. If we can reduce the amount of surface water entering the sewage network this should mean that overflows will operate less frequently.” 1. Question to YW At the town meeting in Feb 2020 YW promised the Town a plan for cleaning up the river. What is the plan over what timeframe? How will you achieve it? Steve YW BC Press release Storm Overflows to be reduced by 20% “The 20% reduction in spills you mention below refers to indicative figures based on the modelling for reducing the infiltration into the network (the project we’ve discussed previously)” Raw Sewage is Discharged into the Wharfe the equivalent of every 3 days 2019 - 114 days of sewage discharges 2018 - 123 days of sewage discharges Figure 4.1: 2018 Regional rainfall as percentage of long term average (1961-1990 LTA) 2. Qn: to YW & EA What level of Storm Overflow discharge are you aiming for? Qn In 2018 there were 123 days of discharges, in 2019 there were 144 days of discharges. What does the 20% relate too? The number of events? The number of days/ hours? By when? When will it be in conditions that comply with the UWWTD now in UK law 20% of 144 means still over 100 days a year of raw sewage discharges into the Wharfe. Karen 3. Question to BC & YW on Ilkley engagement How is the Yorkshire Water Bradford Council partnership planning to involve Ilkley residents in the plans for upgrading the sewage system and preparing for the Bathing Season? Martin Designated Bathing Status Ilkley Wharfe What is it and how does it help? “A bathing water is a coastal or inland water that attracts a large number of bathers in relation to any infrastructure or facilities that are provided, or other measures that are taken, to promote bathing at the site.” Designated Bathing Status What do we get? 1.Weekly Testing to assess Water Quality 2.Investment to clean up the river in Ilkley??? 3.Signage about Water Quality and any risks to bathing for the Bathing Season (May to Sept) 4.Management Plan for the River 5.There is no requirement to provide any facilities apart from signage and this is the responsibility of the local Guidance on signage is here: council. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bathing-water-information- and-signage-rules-for-local-councils 4. Year One Question to EA & BC Qn This is the first designated river. This is a chance to get it right and be exemplary. What happens year 1 re signage and testing? (Martin) How and when will you implement a river management programme and water safety strategy to ensure that there is adequate provision for the peak volume of people that come to visit Ilkley in the height of summer? (Alex) (Note circa 15 days in 2020) Becky EA sampling point The designation extends to Beanlands Island below the final effluent outfall. Beanlands Bathing Count 184 89 64 28 28 44 175 17 27 13 Ilkley Wharfe: E. coli (cfu/100 ml) during low flow (10th July 2019) 350 2 35,500 450 3 1 1 2 10,800 100 4 0 1 = storm overflow 2 = treated outfall Ilkley Wharfe: E. coli (cfu/100 ml) during high flow and a spill (13th June 2019) 32,500 2 43,500 3 11,600 1 1 2 9,500 4 0 11,800 1 = storm overflow 2 = treated outfall “It is certain that downstream of the outfall will be below minimum bathing water standard. Therefore rather than additional classification monitoring in 2021, it seem more appropriate to discourage bathing downstream of the continuous outfall; in and around Beanlands island. That is, until there is a change to the Ashlands WWTW or to the effluent quality (which has been committed to by Yorkshire Water). We will of course carry out investigative monitoring as appropriate to understand the measures required to achieve a healthy and sustainable bathing water. ” WARNING Raw Sewage is discharged downstream from this point periodically and after rainfall. From this point the river is not suitable for bathing. Raw sewage poses a health risk to people and animals. 5. Question to YW on Beanlands What is happening about signage for the stretch from the Iron Bridge to Beanlands to ‘discourage bathing’ and to warn the public of the health risks? Isla What measures will be taken by YW to make Beanlands Island safe for swimming? Becky Upstream Sources Addingham Low Mill Weir to Burley Stepping Stones: E. coli and IE (cfu/100 ml) during high flow and spills in Addingham and Ilkley Main River 1. Low Mill Weir 2. Old Ilkley Road 300 3. Suspension Bridge 400 4. Below storm overflow 83,000 5. Beanlands Island 780,000 56,000 6. Denton Bridge 220,000 37,000 7. Burley Stepping Stones 28,000 Inflow 2,800 3,200 Mill Stream Addingham 1,500 700 4,900 8,000 2,100 2,800 29th October 2020 Bolton Bridge to Ilkley: E. coli (cfu/100 ml) during high flow but no spill (24th August 2020) Inflows Sampling sites Main River Hambleton Beck Main river Bolton Bridge Wine Beck 1,000 Inflows Olicana Town Beck (Church 1,900 Suspension Field) Bridge Lumb Beck Low Mill Weir Spicey Beck Old Bridge New Bridge 1,500 Suspension Bridge Beanlands Island 4,200 Denton Bridge 700 3,300 1,200 2 8,100 8,500 2,800 1 = final effluent (Ashlands) 800 2 = storm overflow (Addingham) 900 1 900 1,500 6. Qn to EA re Tributary Pollution The Addingham Pumping Station CSO spills after heavy rainfall causing severe local pollution in the Mill Stream and high concentrations of faecal bacteria in the Wharfe. Upstream tributaries, especially those in Addingham, also contain high concentrations of faecal bacteria (and nutrients) from livestock and septic tanks causing poor water quality in the becks and contributing to the pollution load on the main river through Ilkley. How will these pollution sources be measured and managed? Rick The plan 1. Improving the treated effluent 2. SOs to 2-3 times a year 3. Sorting out Addingham pumping station 4. Tributaries contamination from farms and septic tanks The National Response Storm Overflow Task Force National Storm Overflows Task Force (August 2020) - Environment Agency, Water UK, which represents the water industry, and Ofwat, to “Reduce the frequency and volumes of sewage discharges from storm overflows.” Action Jan 2020: • Set a long term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows • Water companies have agreed to make real-time data on sewage discharges available at bathing sites all year round • Water companies will publish annual monitoring data on their websites about their use of storm overflows None of this actually reduces Storm Overflows Private Members Bill & Environment Bill • The Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill, introduced by Mr Dunne to Parliament • The Environment Bill will place a statutory requirement on water companies to produce drainage and sewerage management plans to help deliver more of the actions needed to address the risks sewerage assets may pose to the environment. Qn 7 National Legislation Enforcement to Robbie Moore Qn How is the national legislation going to secure Storm Overflow in Ilkley at the level of 2-3 times a year? Becky Qn 8 from Mark – Beneath British Waters • We hear rivers are cleaner than 20 years ago yet in 2020 Data reveals just 14% of rivers are of good ecological standard and none good chemical standard, yet we hear the wharfe is of good ecological status, fact is the wharfe is a shadow of its former self. Yet in 2000 Michael meacher environment minister and chair of the EA John harman published Around 8% of rivers in England and wales are still graded poor or bad • Planned investment over the next five years should tackle many of these problems. When we should be striving to move forwards we are heading backwards.