MapAid: Contiminated rivers and streams, right here in the UK

Notes from a hybrid business person & aid worker: Chapter 12

Contiminated rivers and streams, right here in the UK. Do we give a collective...?

Water quality in recent years in our rivers has been rapidly declining, and while I’m not a ritual Guardian reader, I have to hand it to them, this is a superb and provocative online article: 

“Unacceptable’: how raw sewage has affected rivers in England and Wales – in maps”

Look, if you just halt here, and all you do is read this, and see at the maps and visuals, I will be happy bunny.

Zooming in and out, gives a proper bird’s eye view of where Britain’s water companies are pouring raw sewage in to our rivers.

It’s not lost on me, that my charity MapAid is aiming to support agricultural capitalism in Ethiopia, by mapping where clean water is located for irrigation and drinking.

But charity also starts anywhere, even at home, and we have to get our own house in order, here in the UK. A class action against six water companies, for sewage spills, is now underway.

The Guardian article states: “A spokesperson for Water UK, the industry body, has described the class action as “entirely without merit”.

The Guardian then confounded this disingenuous statement, by these words: 

“More than 384,000 raw sewage discharges were reported by water companies across England and Wales in 2022, adding up to 2.3m hours of spilling.”

The Guardian also raises the issue of data poverty, as few of these spills are properly recorded, due to allegedly inaccurate recording of spills by Ofwat and the Environment Agency.

The Times also Wades In

At the start of 2023, the Times newspaper joined battle, with it’s Clean It Up campaign, arguing that water firms are currently acting like foxes in charge of the hen coop, and must stripped of self-monitoring, and “regulators to be bolstered, spill targets to be strengthened, investment to be brought forward and scores of new bathing waters to be designated in rivers.” Along the way, the Times claims to have smelt a rat, by the water companies hoping to sink these tough new rules.

Citizen Science for Data Collection of Water Samples.

We are a nation of dog walkers, fresh air walkers, hikers, and golfers, so how about an independent project, to give citizens the chance to buy water sample bottles, they can post off for testing ? Results could be put on an accurate map. An app could enable a citizen to determine which river or stream nearby was due for a sample, and taking along witness with a camera would help ensure sustainability.  

All we need is an outraged landowner, with contaminated rivers, and with generous pockets, and MapAid is ready to help. 

Anyone out there got any ideas?  [email protected]

Follow Rupert's story of how he founded MapAid, how he grew the idea, and what their solutions are for today's issues in this content series. 

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