A woman has lost her hearing after swimming in polluted waters in Hastings.
Maggie Alderson picked up open water swimming as a hobby during lockdown but was unaware that there had been a sewage spill in the river. As a result, she contracted an ear infection in her right ear nearly two years ago.
Her ear drum was perforated and had to undergo surgery that was unsuccessful in returning her hearing. She now wears hearing aids in both ears.
From May, Swimfo is regularly updated on the water safety of designated swim spots by the Environmental Agency.
Thousands protested at beaches, rivers and lakes this weekend demanding an end to sewage discharges.
The protests, co-ordinated by Surfers Against Sewage, took place in over 30 spots, ranging from Cornwall to Edinburgh.
Water companies discharged around 3.6 million hours of sewage into rivers and seas last year, which is an increase of 54 per cent from the year before.
Last week, residents in Brixham, a tourist hotspot in the south, had to boil their water after the UK Health Security Agency confirmed 22 cases of a diarrhoea-type illness. This was caused by a waterborne parasite.
At the same time, MPs voted against an amendment to make water company bosses criminally liable for sewage spills.
The effort to crackdown on sewage spills was defeated 262 to 17 after Labour chose to abstain their 204 votes.
Elsewhere in the UK, its been confirmed that more than a 1,000 brown trout were killed due to farm related slurry in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency has called for Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir and the NIEA to “get a handle” on pollution incidents in the Lough Neagh system, which members say have left it “in tatters”.
Charles Watson, the founder of River Action UK, warned MPs that someone could die from the harmful bacteria in rivers due to sewage pollution.
River Action was the charity that found dangerously high levels of bacteria in the Thames before the Oxford Cambridge boat race in March.
He added that the water industry would need to spend an extra £4 billion to meet environmental targets, which may increase household water bills by a third.
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) found “deeply concerning” issues with how the laws to protect England’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters are put into practice, adding that Britain’s water will be “filthy” for decades unless urgent changes are made.
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HeadlineWoman loses hearing after swimming in polluted waters as Surfers Against Sewage protest against illegal discharges
Short HeadlineWoman loses hearing after swimming in polluted waters
StandfirstMaggie Alderson has to use hearing aids after a dip in the water two years ago.
A woman has lost her hearing after swimming in polluted waters in Hastings.
Maggie Alderson picked up open water swimming as a hobby during lockdown but was unaware that there had been a sewage spill in the river. As a result, she contracted an ear infection in her right ear nearly two years ago.
Her ear drum was perforated and had to undergo surgery that was unsuccessful in returning her hearing. She now wears hearing aids in both ears.
From May, Swimfo is regularly updated on the water safety of designated swim spots by the Environmental Agency.
Thousands protested at beaches, rivers and lakes this weekend demanding an end to sewage discharges.
The protests, co-ordinated by Surfers Against Sewage, took place in over 30 spots, ranging from Cornwall to Edinburgh.
Water companies discharged around 3.6 million hours of sewage into rivers and seas last year, which is an increase of 54 per cent from the year before.
Last week, residents in Brixham, a tourist hotspot in the south, had to boil their water after the UK Health Security Agency confirmed 22 cases of a diarrhoea-type illness. This was caused by a waterborne parasite.
At the same time, MPs voted against an amendment to make water company bosses criminally liable for sewage spills.
The effort to crackdown on sewage spills was defeated 262 to 17 after Labour chose to abstain their 204 votes.
Elsewhere in the UK, its been confirmed that more than a 1,000 brown trout were killed due to farm related slurry in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency has called for Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir and the NIEA to “get a handle” on pollution incidents in the Lough Neagh system, which members say have left it “in tatters”.
Charles Watson, the founder of River Action UK, warned MPs that someone could die from the harmful bacteria in rivers due to sewage pollution.
River Action was the charity that found dangerously high levels of bacteria in the Thames before the Oxford Cambridge boat race in March.
He added that the water industry would need to spend an extra £4 billion to meet environmental targets, which may increase household water bills by a third.
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) found “deeply concerning” issues with how the laws to protect England’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters are put into practice, adding that Britain’s water will be “filthy” for decades unless urgent changes are made.
