NEWSLETTER OF SAS • WINTER 2012 90 Surfers Against Sewage It has been an amazing three months since the last edition of Pipeline, Unit 2, Wheal Kittty Workshops, St Agnes, Cornwall. TR5 0RD with phenomenal activity levels across all our campaigns and initiatives. t. 01872 553 001 www.sas.org.uk It has seen the launch of the biggest and most successful petition in SAS Executive Director history with the Protect Our Waves campaign (p14); the culmination Hugo Tagholm [email protected] of the record-breaking SAS Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project (p19), Campaign Director over 100,000 Sewage Alert Service messages issued (p5) and thousands Andy Cummins [email protected] of students inspired by our education programme reaching out to schools POW Campaign Officer across the North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland (p10). Dom Ferris [email protected] We have also been incredibly busy engaging the surfing community with Campaign Assistant Chris Betty our initiatives, including Rob Machado spending a few hours at SAS HQ to [email protected] discuss environmental issues and current campaigns. We were also busy at the Office, Membership & Merchandise Manager Quiksilver Pro France, securing support for the Protect Our Waves petition from Wendy Nicolson [email protected] the likes of Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, Dane Reynolds, Mick Fanning, Fundraiser Jordy Smith and many other leading surfers. If you haven’t yet seen all the new Peter Lewis [email protected] POW Ambassadors do check out www.protectourwaves.org.uk. Finance Officer Make sure you sign the petition too! Jo Burn [email protected] We’ve also been engaging UK politicians with the Protect Our Waves campaign, Finance Assistant the Sewage Alert Service and our marine litter activities. With limited resources, Surfers Against Sewage is calling for GET Claire Longman [email protected] we believe we continue to promote the UK surfing community’s environmental, community volunteers to get involved INVOLVED! Admin Assistant health and surfing resource concerns at the highest level to very good effect. Heidi Peasley with the Autumn Beach Clean Series at PLEASE EMAIL [email protected] It’s your support as an SAS member that really helps make this possible and, [email protected] Board of Directors with an ever-expanding supporter-base, we hope to continue to develop our Dr Tony Butt some of the UK’s most treasured surf OR CALL Steve Challinor influence on the environmental issues impacting your favourite beaches. Alex Dick-Read We have lots of exciting activities for you to get more involved with in the 01872 555 953 Jim Gorrod spots & beaches. Richard Gregory coming weeks including the Return To Offender Weekend (p22), the Break the Chris Hides Ben Hewitt Bag Habit campaign (p6) and the Autumn Beach Clean Series (p9). Do also make Martin Hunt sure you get in touch with your local SAS Rep and get involved with volunteering Lesley Kazan Pinfield Nathan Mansbridge on grassroots activities near you. Check them out at www.sasreps.org.uk Alex Wade SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER Adviser Peter Crane Have a great holiday season and I hope you get some crystal blue, clean waves M&C Saatchi wherever you are. WALES NORTHERN IRELAND NORTH EAST Art Director – James Millers 8th. LLANTWIT MAJOR 5th. CASTLEROCK 9th. LOWESTOFT Copywriter – Andrew Long (SCHOOLS) 9th. TENBY 10th. WHITBURN Pipeline Thanks for your support! 9th. HELLS MOUTH 6th. PORTBALLINTRAE 11th. SALTBURN (SOUTH) Design PORTSTEWART STRAND A-Side Studio 7th. www.a-sidestudio.co.uk SOUTH COAST SOUTH WEST Photographers Hugo Tagholm Wendy Nicolson, Andy Cummins, 22nd. BOSCOMBE SCOTLAND 17th. SAUNTON (AM) Ross Beese, Alice Beese, Director 20th. PEASE BAY Spencer Murphy, Andy Hughes, 23rd. BRIGHTON 17th. WOOLACOMBE (PM) Robert Rehak, Dom Ferris, Chris 23rd. GRANGE CHINE, IOW 21st. COLDINGHAM BAY 18th. SIDMOUTH (EAST) Betty & Chris Beasley. 21st. THURSO Printing Martin Luck Design & Print 27th. MACHRIHANISH 01326 558 000 Supported by: Events will run from 11am - 1pm unless otherwise stated. SAS reserves the right to change the Autumn Beach Clean Series schedule without notice - please check website for final details.WWW.SAS.ORG.UK SAS is a registered charity no 1145877 03 quality results from this bathing season were some of the worst in the last decade. It won’t surprise you to know that the Sewage Alert Service has been working overtime with over 100,000 text messages We recently participated at a workshop with the sent this year alone. Over the 5th & 6th of October World’s foremost experts on water quality and the service spiked issuing almost 12,000 texts in 2 health risks to recreational water users. SAS was days, a new, alarming, record. These text messages the only environmental charity/NGO invited to alone don’t solve the problems, they simply let you participate alongside experts from DEFRA, the know about the threat to your health so you can Environment Agency, the American Environmental avoid contact with some seriously nasty pathogens. Protection Agency (EPA), Stirling and Aberystwyth Along with sending hundreds of thousands of texts Universities. Given the success and popularity of we are also collating a detailed picture of the state our Sewage Alert Service we were able to highlight of our beaches and identifying problem areas to just how valuable water quality information is to The European Courts of Justice have ruled that prioritise vital improvements. beach users and how this information can create the UK are breaching the EU Urban Waste Water Over the winter period South West Water, behavioural change. After all, most people want to Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) by allowing Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water), Yorkshire Water, actively avoid surfing in sewage! The results of the Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) to release Northumbrian Water and Wessex Water have all Sewage Alert Service will be included in the briefing waste water and untreated sewage into the sea agreed to keep informing SAS when their systems papers produced from the event, which will help before pumping it forward to the sewage treatment discharge untreated sewage effluent. We’d like shape the future of UK water quality policy. plant. This case focused on the sewerage systems to thank and commend this commitment to the Through the Cleaner Seas Forum in early at Whitburn in Northumberland and the Thames Sewage Alert Service. Only Southern Water has November SAS will also be updating the DEFRA region. This ruling will send shock waves around taken their system down completely, failing to Minister Richard Benyon MP on the progress, success the water industry and could herald a new era of maintain adequate warning for the significant and growing need for the Sewage Alert Service. restricted raw sewage discharges. south coast surfing & water sports community. The service has already received recognition and The campaign team are pouring over the When we get the information we’ll keep texting you support from the Minister and SAS continues judgement, pulling out the key facts that will further at the important surf spots, but for the less popular to use this platform to influence the Government support the campaigns SAS has long been working beaches we’ll post this information in real time on on water quality issues and concerns. on. We’ll use this ruling to enforce water companies our interactive map on www.sas.org.uk As you know, SAS has significant concerns for all around the UK to treat our sewage responsibly We can also confirm that United Utilities the future health of our coastline, coastal waters rather than discharging it raw into our rivers and seas. are also going to be involved with the real time and those who use them, especially as the water Everyone at SAS would like to acknowledge the warnings for the first time in 2013. This now great work Whitburn local Bob Latimer has done means that all water companies in England and in ensuring the European Commission took this PLEASE HELP FURTHER Wales are participating in this vital service and, case forward. SAS have been supporting Bob whilst SUppORT THIS VITAL SERVICE rest assured, we are now working on Northern almost every other organisation stonewalled him. BY TEXTING ‘SURF12£3’ Ireland and Scotland. Whilst almost 200 beaches Bob’s a passionate individual! He upsets people for 2012 was a fantastic achievement, there are because he says it as he sees it and what he was TO 70070. £3 IS LESS THAN many more beaches that we would like to see saying is the significant amounts of sewage being A PINT IN MOST PUBS AND included in the Sewage Alert Service. discharged is unlawful. We love Bob, he’s our hero WILL HELP US WARN SURFERS The Sewage Alert Service only works with the of the hour and we’re proud that we stood by Bob continued hard work from the team and support ABOUT SEWAGE POLLUTION. and supported this colossal challenge. from Rip Curl Planet, Firetext & Fruitcake Designs. pipeline | www.sas.org.uk ZAc GoldSmith mP Shows Support for protest against single use carrier bags. Surfers Against Sewage campaigners, Break the Bag by polling experts ICM found that 75 per cent of Habit coalition members, Lush Cosmetics and over those asked would think twice about taking single- 20 Bag Monsters – created from over 10,000 single- use carrier bags if a 5p charge was applied. This use plastic bags – ran riot outside the Conservative survey follows the successful implementation of a Party Conference in Birmingham in October. 5p bag charge in Wales, which saw bag use fall by The Bag Monsters were met by Conservative up to a 95 per cent. Public support for the Welsh 5p MP for Richmond, Zac Goldsmith, who collected charge rose from 59 per cent before its introduction, the results of a nationwide survey conducted by to 70 per cent following the first six months of bag Lush.