How toxic are Britain's rivers? Feargal Sharkey tests the River Severn with LBC

[@31Blaize]

All hail Fergal Sharkey: his work has been tireless despite most of the media ignoring him.

[@Padraigp]

Environmentalists have been working on this and shouting about it for before feargal Starkey was born and nobody listens.

[@charlottelee3727]

The media are too busy caring about the attention seeking schemes of talentless celebs. Like the Beckhams selling their ug kids into the talentless celeb industry or Peter Andre talking about his children.

[@Waynebridgeof]

He’s Irish that’s why

[@hohum2722]

I see him fairly regularly on TV. The claim that the media ignores him is just not true. In making things up you diminish his work

[@darenreynolds8824]

The mans a legend , words spoken are words of wisdom 👍

[@lokischildren8714]

Jail every water company CEOs

[@Martin-bx1et]

You don't need to jail them - just get the same people that enforce private car parks to relieve them of their profits

[@emmabrooker166]

They DO deserve criminal charges, convictions and long sentences. This is environmental crime and probably financial crime too.

[@Martin-bx1et]

@@emmabrooker166 but we don't have the teeth to prosecute them and they will keep on getting away with it. This is the first time that I find myself saying it, but sharks like the blokes up in a van to clamp your wheels for a cash release fee seem much more motivated to act.

[@ThePastaManCan]

But then Kier wouldnt get gifts!

[@xx133]

@@emmabrooker166it’s a start, but unless these corps are owned and run democratically, it will continue.

[@martinn6564]

Re-nationalise the water companies. This has to stop.

[@weswheel4834]

I fully support the idea in theory. But it would be very expensive and the Tories would just sell them off cheap when they got back in. Of course, if we could take them back into public ownership because the private companies aren't grown up enough to run the services properly (i.e. for free), that would be different.

[@spencersanderson1894]

@@weswheel4834 The current government could put things in place to stop them from selling them off for cheap. I’m not sure what that would be but I’m sure they could do something.

[@alanhat5252]

​@@spencersanderson1894put the ownership under the Crown rather than Parliament is the obvious one but yes, there are many mechanisms to keep them safe.

[@insomniacbritgaming1632]

won't be any better for the water, and probably no better for us... pharma companies need to stop putting these chemicals into products

[@111dddcca]

Do you trust this government (and any government we will likely have over the next decade) with more responsibility

[@geoffpatton5076]

Shocking stuff. Thanks Fergal for your work in making this public, great journalism. And a thumbs up to LBC for airing this.

[@mandyharewood886]

I cannot believe what England has become! How did you lot destroy such a picturesque country? This is a crime!

[@nicolascurcio441]

Well they were doing it to the rest of the world for hundreds of years, now the pillaging has come home.

[@Jebbis]

Unregulated capitalism.

[@michaelcoward1902]

Nothing like individualism for poisoning beauty.

[@frankiez7414]

Tories

[@yc9129]

We are all guilty. We sit back and allow these companies to get away with it. Instead of farage riots we should have water riots

[@sharononeill9538]

Fergal Sharkey should be nominated for a Nobel Prize. Excellent reporting. Professional and very very educational.

[@DungeonTV100]

Fergals great, but the Nobel prize ain't the 'noble' prize one may assume it is. 😁👊❤

[@tajj7]

I mean you have to wonder at a world where a CEO of a regional water company in the UK, that is clearly failing, that is providing an essential resource to people, of which there is no real competition (so no choice, no market forces, not really much to worry about business wise), that is in massive debt and is getting repeatedly fined, is earning around £2.7 million a year in salary and bonuses? I mean all the fuss made about MP salaries or people complaining doctors and train drivers get pay rises? all those jobs earn easily less than £100k a year and are way more important, stressful than CEO, but this ceo of a company that is putting bills up, is in massive debt and is poisoning our rivers somehow gets rewarded with earnings SEVENTY SEVEN TIMES higher than the UK median salary. That is unchecked capitalism failing humanity right there.

[@Skygrey2943]

Yep, all that money borrowed, and it was not invested. it just went straight out in dividends. That shouldn't be legal.

[@darthlazurus4382]

Well, that's Right Wing politics for you. The rich are well looked after.

[@spencersanderson1894]

@@darthlazurus4382 I’m struggling to believe it’s just right wing politics, I’m left wing and really wanted Jeremy Corbyn to be in power, now I don’t think any politician, regardless of party actually cares about us and is just there for the money.

[@darthlazurus4382]

@spencersanderson1894 Well, there are two types of left wing politicians. Sincere and false. The both say the same thing, but the false one is lying for clout. They're the ones who "change their mind" or "made mistakes". Unfortunately the Labour Party was hijacked by the false ones.

[@harrycooper5231]

Musk got a $46billion dollar bonus as Tesla stock continues to fall.

[@riccidolan]

And the great news is, the water companies get to charge us more so they can clean it up.

[@bl-ni1iu]

"we're sorry, we need to be better"

[@insomniacbritgaming1632]

@@tiancai7177 yes... Clean water should be a human right, or we should be allowed to treat our own, but water tanks get you a hefty fine

[@bl-ni1iu]

@@tiancai7177 America doesn't have a problem with poorly treated sewage going back into its waterways. Their water treatment is public, tax payer funded, and government regulated.

[@fyank1]

They will charge us more, they won’t clean it up. All the money is going to shareholders. Thatcher was a monster.

[@chrissymon]

​@@insomniacbritgaming1632what country are you in? Why should water tanks get you a heftyfine?

[@paulbrown2971]

Throw a bit of soup on an antique frame, two years in prison. Poison a whole ecosystem for years to come, a fine that is probably tax deductible. It’s outrageous.

[@jillybe1873]

Um well there's only one Van Gogh. Furthermore, comparisons are odorous.

[@budgieboi3007]

​​@@jillybe1873Van Goghs painting wasnt even damaged. It was covered by glass.

[@paulbrown2971]

@@jillybe1873 he actually painted quite a few of the sunflowers in a short space of time for a visit from Gaugin. The frame is not original to the painting. The painting has a protective glass on it so no possible damage to the artwork.

[@paulbrown2971]

@@jillybe1873 what is odorous is sewage and dead river life.

[@zed739]

​@@jillybe1873truly embarrassing take

[@HelenWilson-bm1vv]

CEOs dont care.Government dont care.Get them all OUT.

[@weswheel4834]

The government's only been in a couple of months.

[@yt.personal.identification]

The Tories spent 14 years in power as this occurred. Now with a change of government it is given attention.

[@weswheel4834]

@@yt.personal.identification tbf it was given attention (including from Sharkey) when the Tories were in. But the damage is done now and it needs fixing.

[@andreaslamers9535]

@@weswheel4834 agree, but its easier to destroy like to rebuild, so Labour will need decades to fix the mess that the tories created

[@nadiaconstantinou7089]

Hold them accountable and they will leave of their own volition

[@RichPober]

Well said, Feargal Sharkey. More publicity should be given to Feargal Sharkey's campaign for the water industry to stop causing environment damage to Britain’s rivers.

[@billpage6487]

I remember so many beautiful rivers when I was young.. crystal clear, fish, reedy aromas, wonderful. Now endless tragedy. Well done Fergal action is needed now!

[@Soda-Crypto]

How old are you? 200 years?

[@zetectic7968]

OFWAT has failed, Tories failed privatising water & have failed the last 14 years allowing CEO's to be paid telephone numbers for failure ( except for for shareholders & their own pay)

[@CharlesYeo-qs6nb]

Don’t mention that during Tony Blair’s government that dividends were double in real terms than during the Tory government.

[@andreaslamers9535]

how do you privatize the water? 10 companies and every one of them dig their own trenches and put pipes in it? no company invests this money, besides if you have one water connection and one sewage connection and change the distributor, do you get new pipes? this is infrastructure, like streets or electricity, and if you mean this is private, you are funny, the government (taxpayer) pays for the building of power plants and the fuel, and the government (taxpayer) pays for the grid, private company pay for the workers in the power plant and chare the customers (all of them) and another company charge you for the electricity that is created in the taxpayer power plant, distributed over the taxpayer infrastructure and chare the end customer, this distributor make a big margin, and the company who operate the power plant make a big profit, if the grid or power plant needs repair, guess who pay for this, if you don't know look in the mirror, the taxpayer. so far to free market

[@paulhiggins6024]

Labour no better.

[@lecturesfromleeds614]

Please keep giving this man airtime! Its really important that we don't let this issue get swept under the rug

[@danielmoir13]

Nationalisation of water companies would go virtually unopposed and would improve the livelihoods of the country, why are the government being cowards?

[@harrycooper5231]

Because like in so many Western countries, the billionaires and giant corporations largely control the government.

[@notjustforhackers4252]

It would annoy the EU.

[@danielmoir13]

@notjustforhackers4252 water supply is publicly owned in Germany. Not that annoying the EU matters after Brexit anyway

[@Vindolin]

@@notjustforhackers4252 btw EU countries must comply with the EU Water Framework Directive.

[@alanhat5252]

​@@notjustforhackers4252don't be daft! 😂😂😂

[@PetertheBeeandFriends]

All those querying the location of the testing, remember it’s supposed to be safe before it enters the river not after it is mixed with the upstream flow.

[@PhilJonesIII]

There are standards for sampling water from rivers. That is more about being able to measure changes in water quality over time. But, you are not wrong. It should not be going into the river with those levels of contamination. We were processing industrial effluent in the 70s. (Seriously toxic, as in, dangerous to touch) Despite that, after processing, the water could be pure enough for trout to thrive in. Trout are sensitive to low level pollution. The point being that there is no excuse for not processing that waste properly.

[@AWROAL]

I would observe that the CEO has received £27m It certainly doesn’t sound like it was earned!

[@michaelcoward1902]

no, if anything i'd say he's owes us £54 million.

[@kjm1059]

He probably earned by keeping costs down as the video shows, it's nice and cheap dumping in the rivers.

[@meadow9]

Great news reporting, Feargal and Nick! Please more UK rivers and coasts tested! The river pollution can probably be improved a bit with more naming and shaming on LBC.

[@darthlazurus4382]

Scotland is just fine. Our water companies are non profit.

[@jordan4870]

Thank you so much for shining a spotlight on this, Nick.

[@alanw8311]

Unfortunately paying a £2 m fine for Severn Trent is far cheaper than investing in the required infrastructure required to process the sewage water.

[@alastairdonaldson-jj9vh]

You're a lovely bloke feargal. Keep up the great contribution to the problem. Best wishes. Al.

[@maartenaalsmeer]

A clean UK river these days is hard to find...

[@MarkPearce-u7m]

I saw what you did there. 👍

[@nigelb5341]

Oh dear 🤦‍♂️😆

[@scootyman2974]

We need the clear stuff, the lasting kind 😉

[@martinfretwell]

I used to see clear rivers now I don't know what to do . Now it's all about pollution and what it can do to you.

[@truth-b4l]

Yep rivers are no longer clear water most are a dark reddish brown colour no signs of life just dead and as a fisherman I can tell you the fish are in rapid decline you use to always get unwanted catch on rivers Thier were fish everywhere now you can sit for hours without a single bite

[@philipwilkinson4747]

Privatization thank you Thacher.

[@darthlazurus4382]

We in Scotland are very grateful tae English voters for constantly voting against their own interests in a way that affects us.

[@mattydare]

@@philipwilkinson4747 'Piratization' = selling something back to the people who already own it! It's in the name :- CONservative. Oh well - Labour now have chance to turn things around but I wouldn't hold your breath 💰💰💰

[@philipwilkinson4747]

@@mattydare I do agree with your message I am more than pist of about that

[@philipwilkinson4747]

@@mattydare I agree

[@christianzilla]

Before Thatcher and Reagan came Milton Friedman, the pioneer of neoliberalism as an economic and political ideology that has now run rampant throughout the capitalist world. Austerity, deregulation and privatisation while robbing from the poor to give to the rich has been normalised because of it.

[@lestrem11]

Well done Feargal, keep it up.

[@ddoherty5956]

While O'Brien keeps advocating for open borders what can change?

[@PaulDouglas-i5m]

Adverts on TV asking for Money to help give Clean Water to Kids in Countries where they have to Walk Miles from Home to Collect their Water in a Plastic bottle......Their Waterhole looked Cleaner than Our Rivers !!!!!!......

[@stevenlujian568]

It should be illegal to make money from water. Also, treatment of water means to clean it, not pick and choose what to clean it of. We need to say no more to this nonsense!

[@alexgreen1767]

Well if it is illegal to make money I will take my water treatment facilitys elsewhere..

[@chrisclark4112]

Do you pay for your water , i won't

[@robertogreen]

This country’s ownership class needs a full Year Zero.

[@stevencharlton7693]

You should send Feargal around Scotland to compare our "Publically Owned Water" to England's "Privately Run Water"!!!

[@andyking6051]

Nice one Feargal . Bless your soul mate . This only started in 2020 , no discussion why on tv whatsoever .

[@Michael-yq2ut]

Feargal Sharkey needs to be made head of the environment agency.

[@menshevik1012]

Totally agree!

[@sharononeill9538]

Agreed. And with immediate effect

[@gabrielmurphy3405]

How are they allowed to get away with such environmental damage?

[@michaelcoward1902]

Nick hasn't helped up until now. He and all of his friends in the right wing media have been loudly and proudly propagandizing against the message of environmental protestors for his entire career. Why he's sudden;y seen the light and started caring now is anyones guess.

[@dr.sbrule5817]

Taking billions in record profits while causing irreparable damage to our ecosystems... It should be declared ecoterrorism

[@tonymackenzie9282]

Money

[@femazik]

...and I pay them £600 each year, on top of the money they get from my taxes...

[@waynelewis5656]

Pretty sure that Severn Trent don't get any of your tax money. They're a private company.

[@frankriley845]

Feargal for Water Minister

[@someblokecalleddave1]

Yes!

[@davelowe9271]

I would say Prime Minister

[@buzzabuzza3494]

Superb work Fergal👏👏 this article needs airing on all major news channels.

[@flickthenick]

Around my way I don't see fishing going on anymore, there is nothing to catch...

[@harryramsbottom1385]

Strange because the best fishing I ever had on my local river was at a sewage outflow

[@truth-b4l]

Yep I use to river fish always caught fish they were everywhere now can sit Thier for hours and not a single bite

[@paulhiggins6024]

Same with the beaches. The south coast is as barren as the Med. commercials destroying it.

[@SteveMillinson]

@@truth-b4l

[@joelohalloran200]

Feargal. This is a brilliant feature. Is this every Friday from now on? Can’t wait if so….

[@AlfalfaOmega-pq8ki]

It's simple. Don't pay your bill. The more people that do, the more they will listen.

[@chrisclark4112]

I don't

[@MikA-db2]

Terrible situation that has festered for far to long. Brilliant report by LBC on polluting, keep it up. Many thanks to all at LBC. The water industries have much to answer for. One wonders at the catchment areas of former reservoirs and there futures?

[@dianecameron137]

they keep promoting rough swimming yet the rivers beaches are filthy

[@danielbarnes6873]

Do you not get it they profit of the back of people being ill the big parma profit of us getting sick and needing there drugs to help us get better.

[@hiramabiff225]

I won't even let my dog swim in the oceans, let alone my kids. Yuck!!

[@PhilNoel-d7p]

Well done feargal, We need more people like you to get this sorted. Before it is to late.

[@adrianclint1449]

Every member of a water company board of directors should be made to swim in a random river of theirs every month. That would get them fixed quickly.

[@edgoewie2132]

Hello, probably it will be worse than swimming in the the Seine in Paris during the Olympics. What did happen to this great nation across the pond?

[@alansmith8195]

It's a horror film that people actually get paid to orchestrate

[@harryjones94]

Everyone should stop their water company payments.

[@chrisclark4112]

I have

[@PeterBarr-zh6cv]

Excellent news coverage. Environmental topics like this need to be covered more often like this in the media to force change

[@chapsnaps1]

Labour is planning to build 500,000 new homes a year. No river stands a chance with the amount of untreated human and animal waste being dumped in them.

[@gordonnorth5698]

Increasing the number of homes does not increase the quantity of sewage going into the rivers (or anywhere else for that matter) as the number of people remains the same. We need the homes, we need clean water.

[@chipesh]

@@gordonnorth5698 Strange comment. The population has increased with the new homes. No the homes do not urinate and poo but the population increases with the new homes which increases the demand on environmental systems. Is there no upper limit to people numbers in your world?

[@chapsnaps1]

@@gordonnorth5698 The population of the UK has increased by 6 million since 2011. Water companies were privatised 30 years ago. Shareholders and executives have been prioritised over investment in water treatment plants. We have all been taken for idiots by the owners of these companies.

[@baked_onion]

Bore off I bet you voted for all this... you are a threat to the uk

[@Andy-oc3ew]

@@chapsnaps1it is not necessarily the treatment plants, it is the sewer network, the treatment is the easy part. The sewer network all over the country leaks like a sieve and surface water drainage has been diverted in the the foul sewers, this means that when it rains the treatment works are overwhelmed with rain water mixed with the sewage. Rain water and ground water need to be kept separate from the sewage and the treatment works would have more than enough capacity. Unfortunately it would cost 10s of billions if not 100 billion to fix this issue across the uk.

[@amcl7]

Subscribed. Thank you for exposing clear negligence, tackling silent corporate agendas and refusing to conform with heavily filtered mainstream media reporting.

[@colincox1716]

Fergal is doing a great job to inform the public of what a catastrophic way our rivers are being abused by the water companies to escalate their bonuses at nature's expense 😢

[@Rureal42]

So glad and gratefull to Mr Sharky for highlighting this and other crimes. Thank you.

[@PigParts-s2l]

Well done Fergal keep fighting river polution

[@adrianfielding4678]

Well said Fergal .

[@mattwright2964]

Well done Fergal and well done LBC. How can we keep allowing this utter disgrace year after year for decades.

[@julesmorgan5986]

Only the last decade or so when Gov decided not to enforce regulation and neutered the EA.... We had very high water quality until 2010 due to regulation being enforced.

[@someblokecalleddave1]

By voting for anyone other than the Tories pretty much.

[@mattwright2964]

​@julesmorgan5986 wish that was true but it isn't. I was glad to see Labour get in but truth is we've had decades of this. I've been fly fishing 40 years and we've seen this at first hand. Two main causes, agriculture and water treatment. Fergal has set all this out in much detail.

[@Brian-om2hh]

Keep going like this Feargal, and you could land a job taking on the water companies (someone needs to!)...I reckon they'd better watch out if you do..

[@rudegirlnycloy]

Thank you Feargal

[@poorsam9173]

Sewage companies and Super Stores have been saying that they are having to deal with a population of over 90 million. Our infrastructure can’t deal with a population that big hence why sewage is not being treated properly. Yet every year more and more people are coming in with no end in sight.

[@06howea1]

Thank you for raising awareness

[@Peter-jt2zr]

Hello Feargal, huge respect for what your doing. You should also measure the temperature and ph values of the toxic streams feeding into the river. I hope the green party, just stop oil and insulate are watching and are going to show us their worth instead of the easy targets they pick. Can we have a leader board too. Once again huge respect. Peter

[@RobMorrison-vf2is]

This has happened due to one major thing Money, customers are paying the dividends of shareholders, that's what happens when a country's water companies are sold off to the free market it's all about profit. (same with rail) Then governments ensure partially due to lobbying that those who are supposed to police the industry are not given the resources to do the job effectively. (They will usually use the country's finances as the excuse). The problem is that the people who run companies and the governments just don't care enough, if at all. The worst thing is some people let their kid's swim in rivers even after there has been a pollution reports, you just couldn't make it up.

[@Mrliamames]

The swans and ducks are at the bank every day there are dozens of them I cycle down by the river regularly to the city centre. I live in Worcester near the river and you would not catch me in that water. At the moment it’s flooding and the stench will be unbearable.

[@VillaMalvern]

Great work. Keep going.

[@jeffovery9054]

Excellent stuff,this is proper reporting,well done.will anything change tho,been going on a long time 😭

[@benben5847]

A clean river, these days, is hard to find.

[@roboliver9980]

You get used to it living here. Then you go abroad and see fish and life in the waterways. Shocking state.

[@charlie01546]

CEO being paid all that💰 for failing, the world has gone mad. Tories mainly to blame for turning a blind eye over the last fourteen years😢

[@mikepage7666]

Lived along the river severn for nearly 40 years and have watched it recently hold fishing matches that used to won with 200+ lb's of fish, these days they can be won with as little as 8lb, it has slowly been dying for the last 20 years or so

[@KPKENNEDY]

Big question is how much money does it save by not treating the water? Fines should be greater than this amount to deter not treating the water. Otherwise fined are a farce

[@mabrouk5058]

If it was a 500 million pound fine I'm pretty sure things would change. Leniency with these companies will only stem further problems

[@spikeychris]

I get the point but the testing method isn't great. What is the reading before the sewage outflow? What is the reading say 100m downstream of the sewage outflow? Yes the levels of Nitrate and Phosphate might be high directly coming out of the sewage treatment pipe (it looks like he is taking samples from immediately after the discharge) but the dilution factor will play a big role in how high the concentrations are. Before anyone jumps on me for this it's the equivalent of going into a farmers field, walking straight up to a cow pat and then measuring the nitrate levels and claiming the entire field has nitrate levels that high. You need to sample more than one place and you need to sample logically.

[@sobeit1927]

Regardless of where you test , the output from those treatment plants should be clean before it is released into the river . And clearly it is not . That’s the point .

[@rorus9530]

Is it a bit misleading taking the readings so close to the source? Presumably the further away you get, the more diluted it becomes.

[@terryblake2857]

That's what you get when you increase the population with 10 million immigrants in 10 years. MADNESS!

[@baldieman64]

Despite the UK having had a sub-replacement birthrate since the mid 1970s, we have 20 million additional people consuming water and producing sewage with minimal additional infrastructure to deal with the demands that these people place on the system. Mass migration doesn't just drive down, wages and drive up housing costs. It results in green belts and old growth forests being torn up and the poisoning of what green spaces are left.

[@DrGammaMindset]

Absolutely shocking

[@lesliecompton4061]

When the companies went private, they were over the moon about how clean the rivers were. Bloated payouts and bonuses to the top men and further asset stripping with overloaded payouts to the investors created the debt they have. they have lost the plot they should have the company taken from them at zero cost and fined for the difference in the state of the waterways the only action we will see from the government will depend on the freebies received

[@furryelvis]

Its all so disingenuous. The water companies know what they are doing

[@bluedragon13063]

Great to see fergal reporting on poisoning of our river systems

[@hitas3799]

While I completely agree with the actual argument here: we should stop pumping waste into our rivers. I think those tests should actually be done further downstream from the actual sewage works to give an accurate reading

[@dubsnbuds6668]

Are you mad

[@hitas3799]

@@dubsnbuds6668 Not as far as I know... After reading your comment I double checked: " A sampling position in a pipe or channel must be far enough downstream of the last inflow so that mixing of the two streams is complete." According to the Environment Agency in their guidence on Monitoring discharges to water

[@dubsnbuds6668]

@@hitas3799 it sounds crazy but I suppose it kinda makes sense , apologies if I offended not intended

[@hitas3799]

@@dubsnbuds6668 No worries, it's the internet it's to be expected XD It actually made me double check it which was nice :)

[@SimBetts]

Feargal is an absolute hero. He's done more in defence of our vital sacred arteries (waterways) than anyone. All power to him. 🙏Thank you Sir.

[@mikecahill3989]

Too many People in this country now ,it should be a bout 45 million but we could be nearer 70million ,maybe more

[@edmundblackaddercoc8522]

Supermarkets put it between 85 and 95 mill.

[@l.i.v3703]

We need more exposure on this topic

[@henryburton6529]

This is the result of 14 years of right wing policies - Regulations are important, never forget what theyve done to our country

[@MrWackozacko]

The fix for this whole problem is growing acres and acres of livestock fodder greens in floating rafts on the river. Could be made into a positive with a bit of capital

[@Shakwackla]

Don't mention the B word. I wonder what other areas are suffering from this kind of de-regulation and profit gouging but are not yet as obvious as every bit of life in a river ending. Wow

[@MarcaWasi-jd6xx]

You can tell the conciousness level of a civilisation by the cleanliness of its water.........

[@StephMcAlea]

All those gammon troublemakers and rioters who claim to be patriots could do more to be like a true patriot like Feargal by taking these polluters to task. It's beyond personalities and politics, it's the health of the entire country.

[@nicholasdickens2801]

In any country you’d call it racketeering or money laundering. They have 6 billion in debt and paid out 8 billion in dividends?!? This is insane. It’s financial insanity.

[@ricado372]

Welcome to brexit.

[@stephenbedworth3404]

The truth is it would have lower readings further away from the outlet, but the point is it shouldn't be going into the river in the first place, stop paying shareholders and spend the money to clean up the system

[@matthewcook9404]

Thank goodness that the Tories privatised the water companies - their war chests of cash from profits, and their generous shareholders will now step forward to pay to clean up the disaster that is water in Britain. Apparently the disaster was caused by one J. Corbyn. 😂😂

[@ScottishRoss27]

*in England.

[@TheDarkLandsMusic]

Feargal Sharkey.. top man for your efforts...

[@goattm2]

England doesn't represent the rest of us. You are the ones allowing this in your waters. It isn't happening anywhere else. Stop saying it's British when it's just England.

[@ScottishRoss27]

Publicly Owned Scottish Water won the 2023 annual UK water company performance survey.

[@alistairmrkerr1336]

John Major wanted to Sell off Scottish water to private companies but the Scots were allowed a vote and it was defeated by 94%

[@hiramabiff225]

It is a British problem. Water circulates the planet. Do you think English water stays only in England? Where do you think your rain has come from? Example, Do you still find things washing up on your beaches that came from the Japanese Tsunami? Water moves itself all around the planet. This will be a world wide problem soon if nothings done. In fact, it might already be too late.

[@ScottishRoss27]

@@hiramabiff225 Scots Law starts at the Border and Environment Policy is Devolved. This is not a ''British'' probelm'' as the ''British' government does not have any legal competence in Devolved Scottish Government Policy Area's..

[@goattm2]

@ They steal their water off Wales and Scotland and whatever they produce is full of their own excrement. Unlike in your country, our rivers in Wales are protected and wildlife thrives in them because our government heavily fines companies for any spillage instead of letting them off and profiting off the mess they caused. Plus you don’t know how water works.

[@apw1981]

Custodial sentences for the directors of the Water companies who continually break the sewage dumping rules, and make the distribution of dividends illegal for all utility companies.

[@jujutrini8412]

Why was this not happening throughout the Tory era? I am glad it’s finally happening but it should have been happening all along. The media holds a lot of the blame as far as I am concerned.

[@edfromtheairship]

Keep campaigning Fergal. That's my local river and it's an utter disgrace. Thank you.

[@yt.personal.identification]

The Tories did this to the nation.

[@simonrusk3338]

Great work Feargal.. total respect to you..

[@ScottishRoss27]

*English rivers.

[@CharlesYeo-qs6nb]

The English environmental agency have put monitors on all sewage outlets. The Scottish have only got 5% covered ignorance is bliss.

[@weswheel4834]

Are English rivers in Britain?

[@ScottishRoss27]

@@weswheel4834 No, English rivers are in England.

[@weswheel4834]

@@ScottishRoss27 @BritishRoss27 And also in Britain.

[@weswheel4834]

@@ScottishRoss27 No offense, but I see the same arguments given for Scottish independence as for Brexit. And we're seeing the effects of the latter now.

[@TrevorRooney]

Brilliant Report Fergal !!

[@oliverseitz9215]

Funny, will UK now blame EU for that? 😂 Thank you for leaving EU. It is a real win/win. You got sovereignty, we got rid of UK. 🤪

[@kudosbudo]

some muppets might. its a real shame for those of us who didnt vote leave. we wish they never did a referendum. we would prefer to come bsck but none of our government options are willing to run on that.

[@notjustforhackers4252]

No. The German and French companies that run British water infrastructure are to blame. The UK has left the EU it can't blame them for their own failures to kick out EU based companies can it.

[@edfromtheairship]

Utterly well said. I live here. Over Feargal's left shoulder in the 1st shot there has been £200k+ (and the rest) spent on a 'fish staircase' which is meant to encourage rare fish back up river so they don't have to jump up the weir; and only just downstream is that disgusting sewage outflow.

[@Ayah_Mia]

Just ask Tommy Boy!

[@simonedwards5070]

Brilliant man, love his music, love his passion,if there’s any justice and if you believe in that stuff give him a knighthood 👍