Campaign news and updates
Designated bathing waters - why do they matter?
When you look at the sea, can you see bacteria? Would you swim in it if you could? Sometimes the signs of water pollution are obvious; there might be slick on the water’s surface, floating sanitary products and lumpy toilet roll sludge. Other times it might wash up on the shoreline during the wrong tide. However, the absence of more obvious pollution does not guarantee water quality. To prevent sewage related illness for swimmers we must treat sewage properly to tertiary level, and publicly monitor and report on water quality, allowing the public to make informed decisions.
Suitable Solutions to Scilly’s Sewage Pollution
The rise of sewage-related illness and environmental damage in the UK has led to an ever-growing swell of determination to protect Britain’s waterways, seas, and people from poo. Many things have contributed to growing public awareness and concern: campaigns from organisations like Surfers Against Sewage; television shows such as Channel 4’s Dirty Business; a whole county voting no confidence in private water company South West Water; and sewage pollution and prosecution (or lack thereof) repeatedly featuring as a hot topic in national news. But what are the solutions, and who is responsible for delivering them?
Cornwall: A vote of no confidence in South West Water
We have added Template 8 to our toolkit, which is an email to the Councillors of the Isles of Scilly. It requests that they align with their mainland peers and motion a vote no confidence in SWW as an water and wastewater operator for the Isles of Scilly. The Council of the Isles of Scilly will not automatically be included in Cornwall Council’s motion; we’re a Unitary Authority, which is why water legislation did not apply to the islands until 2020. If the community wish for the Council of the Isles of Scilly to align with the sentiments of the Councillors of Cornwall, a separate motion will need to be passed.
A change in proposal - is it really that simple?
On 14th July 2026 the Environment Agency told residents of the Isles of Scilly that secondary sewage treatment was the appropriate requirement for St Mary’s, as per Government guidelines… unless there was a robust case for less. The next day South West Water quietly updated their wastewater proposal for St Mary’s. They added that they’d listened to the community and as a result had revised their proposals to include secondary treatment. Is this the good news that it seems, or is there more at play?