Campaign news and updates
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?
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?