Latest news with #waterpollution
The Independent
18 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Government will not be lenient with Thames Water creditors, suggests Reed
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has suggested that the Government will reject calls from Thames Water creditors for leniency from fines and penalties. Taking questions in the Commons on Tuesday, Mr Reed said the Government had 'stepped up our preparations and stand ready for all eventualities', amid Thames Water's search for a rescue plan. The troubled utility company's lenders put forward proposals to pump cash into it. But they have also demanded leniency from regulators over performance targets and fines for environmental failings. The creditors argue that without regulatory leniency, the utility's 'pollutions, asset health deterioration, and customer service levels are likely to worsen'. Labour MP for Monmouthshire, Catherine Fookes, told the Commons: 'I am really concerned by reports of Thames Water seeking regulatory easements. 'Can the Secretary of State assure me that this Government will continue to crack down on water pollution from all sources, including in the Wye and the Thames and all across the UK?' Mr Reed replied: 'The Government will always act in the national interest on these issues. 'Thames Water must meet its statutory and regulatory obligations to their customers and to the environment. 'It is only right that the company is subject to the same consequences as any other water company. 'The company remains financially stable, but we've stepped up our preparations and stand ready for all eventualities, as I've said before, including a special administration regime if that were to become necessary.' It comes after US private equity giant KKR recently pulled out of a rescue deal to inject much-needed cash into Britain's biggest water supplier, which has 16 million customers and is sinking under £19 billion of debt. The move threw the future of Thames Water into doubt once more and raised the threat of temporary nationalisation by the Government if a deal cannot be agreed. A Thames Water spokesperson said: 'Thames Water is committed to improving outcomes for the environment and its customers. 'We are investing billions of pounds in our network and any recapitalisation of the business will need to ensure that is maintained for the benefit of all our stakeholders. 'Our focus remains on a holistic and fundamental recapitalisation, delivering a market-led solution which includes targeting investment grade, credit ratings.' The creditors are the bondholders who now effectively own Thames Water after the High Court, earlier this year, approved a financial restructuring through a loan of up to £3 billion to ensure it can keep running until the summer of 2026. As part of their plans, the creditors would commit to spending £20.5 billion over the next five years, as agreed under the current five-year plan with Ofwat. But they are calling for a 'pragmatic approach' to regulation – including 're-basing incentives and performance targets' – and 'realistic levels of compliance'. It is understood they have been holding intensive talks with regulator Ofwat in the hope of securing approval for their deal in early July. A spokesman for the creditors said: 'Broad regulatory support is needed to unlock a market-led solution for Thames Water that will secure billions of pounds in fresh investment for its aging network, allowing a world class leadership team to start the intensive turnaround and deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment. 'This investor group is committed to working with the Government and regulators to agree a pragmatic plan that recognises what Thames Water can realistically deliver and they expect to be held accountable for an ambitious trajectory for the company's return to compliance. 'More than £10 billion would be written off to get the company back to investment grade, expected to be the largest financial loss on an infrastructure asset in British history.'
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Government will not be lenient with Thames Water creditors, suggests Reed
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has suggested that the Government will reject calls from Thames Water creditors for leniency from fines and penalties. Taking questions in the Commons on Tuesday, Mr Reed said the Government had 'stepped up our preparations and stand ready for all eventualities', amid Thames Water's search for a rescue plan. The troubled utility company's lenders put forward proposals to pump cash into it. But they have also demanded leniency from regulators over performance targets and fines for environmental failings. The creditors argue that without regulatory leniency, the utility's 'pollutions, asset health deterioration, and customer service levels are likely to worsen'. Labour MP for Monmouthshire, Catherine Fookes, told the Commons: 'I am really concerned by reports of Thames Water seeking regulatory easements. 'Can the Secretary of State assure me that this Government will continue to crack down on water pollution from all sources, including in the Wye and the Thames and all across the UK?' Mr Reed replied: 'The Government will always act in the national interest on these issues. 'Thames Water must meet its statutory and regulatory obligations to their customers and to the environment. 'It is only right that the company is subject to the same consequences as any other water company. 'The company remains financially stable, but we've stepped up our preparations and stand ready for all eventualities, as I've said before, including a special administration regime if that were to become necessary.' It comes after US private equity giant KKR recently pulled out of a rescue deal to inject much-needed cash into Britain's biggest water supplier, which has 16 million customers and is sinking under £19 billion of debt. The move threw the future of Thames Water into doubt once more and raised the threat of temporary nationalisation by the Government if a deal cannot be agreed. A Thames Water spokesperson said: 'Thames Water is committed to improving outcomes for the environment and its customers. 'We are investing billions of pounds in our network and any recapitalisation of the business will need to ensure that is maintained for the benefit of all our stakeholders. 'Our focus remains on a holistic and fundamental recapitalisation, delivering a market-led solution which includes targeting investment grade, credit ratings.' The creditors are the bondholders who now effectively own Thames Water after the High Court, earlier this year, approved a financial restructuring through a loan of up to £3 billion to ensure it can keep running until the summer of 2026. As part of their plans, the creditors would commit to spending £20.5 billion over the next five years, as agreed under the current five-year plan with Ofwat. But they are calling for a 'pragmatic approach' to regulation – including 're-basing incentives and performance targets' – and 'realistic levels of compliance'. It is understood they have been holding intensive talks with regulator Ofwat in the hope of securing approval for their deal in early July. A spokesman for the creditors said: 'Broad regulatory support is needed to unlock a market-led solution for Thames Water that will secure billions of pounds in fresh investment for its aging network, allowing a world class leadership team to start the intensive turnaround and deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment. 'This investor group is committed to working with the Government and regulators to agree a pragmatic plan that recognises what Thames Water can realistically deliver and they expect to be held accountable for an ambitious trajectory for the company's return to compliance. 'More than £10 billion would be written off to get the company back to investment grade, expected to be the largest financial loss on an infrastructure asset in British history.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Common vegetable extract found to remove most microplastics from water
An extract derived from okra and fenugreek can remove over 90 per cent of microplastics from water, according to a new study that may help develop safe ways to get rid of the toxic material. Microplastic particles, ranging in size from a billionth to a millionth of a metre, have become widespread environmental pollutants in the last 50 years. They are produced during industrial processes or when plastic debris breaks down in the environment. A growing body of research warns that exposure to microplastics, and in particular their collection in human tissues, may lead to adverse health conditions like stroke and several types of cancer. Scientists have been attempting to develop methods to effectively remove these tiny fragments from the environment as well as from the human body. They have now found that the natural polymers that make okra slimy and give fenugreek its gel-like texture can trap most of these microplastic particles in water. The new study, published in the journal ACS Omega, shows that an okra and fenugreek extract can remove up to 90 percent of microplastics from ocean water, freshwater and groundwater. Natural polymers in okra and fenugreek as well as tamarind grab onto microplastic particles, causing them to clump together and sink to the bottom. This makes it easier to separate the tiny plastic particles from water. Researchers also optimised a process for making okra and fenugreek extracts. They made the extracts by soaking sliced okra pods and blending fenugreek seeds in separate containers of water overnight. They then removed the dissolved extracts and dried them into powders. The powdered extracts were found to contain natural long-chain sugar polymers called polysaccharides. Just a gram of either powder in a litre of water was found to trap microplastics effectively. The dried okra and fenugreek extracts removed nearly 70 per cent to 90 per cent of the plastic in an hour, researchers found. A mixture of equal parts of the powders removed 70 per cent of the plastic particles within 30 minutes, according to the study. Researchers said the plant extracts performed significantly better than commercially available synthetic polymers currently used in wastewater treatment. When researchers tested the extracts on water collected from local waterbodies, they found that okra worked best in ocean water, fenugreek in groundwater, and their combination in freshwater. 'Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water,' Rajani Srinivasan, an author of the study from Tarleton State University in the US, said, 'thus reducing long-term health risks to the population.'
Gizmodo
7 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
NASA Satellite Captures Massive Wastewater Flow off California Coast
Turns out, NASA's spectroscopic imaging tool, EMIT, can detect water pollution. In 2022, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory launched a satellite sensor to map minerals in the Earth's dusty, arid regions. But that's not all it's useful for—in a new study, scientists used the spectroscopic tool to study massive amounts of sewage flowing into the sea off the Southern California coast. Every year, millions of gallons of untreated and treated wastewater are unceremoniously dumped into the Tijuana River, ferrying pollution through communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border before reaching the ocean. In a study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, researchers used Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT), a hyperspectral imaging instrument aboard the International Space Station, to examine this nauseating wastewater plume at the Tijuana River delta. Pollution from wastewater isn't pretty. It can bring toxic chemicals, harmful algal blooms, and unfriendly bacteria, which can impact the health of beachgoers. People typically rely on water-quality dashboards to tell them when it's unsafe to swim, but these often rely on field samples, which don't always cover the full extent of the pollution. Collecting those samples also takes time and money, especially in heavily contaminated areas. That's where EMIT comes in. It uses imaging spectroscopy, a technique that captures both spatial and spectral information by measuring sunlight reflected off the Earth's surface. Each image can capture hundreds of wavelengths per pixel, giving scientists detailed insights into the molecular composition and material properties of what's on the ground. This allowed researchers to measure the spectral signature of the wastewater plume. The researchers compared the hyperspectral satellite images taken by EMIT with the spectra of untreated wastewater, diluted wastewater, and seawater sampled near the plume. They also compared EMIT's images with readings from a spectrometer on the ground. They found that water with high wastewater contamination emits a distinct red spectral feature that could allow researchers to monitor the extent of pollution in the future—though the source of that feature is still unclear. The researchers hope that the data can complement efforts to sample water quality near the river's mouth by telling water scientists where to sample. 'From orbit you are able to look down and see that a wastewater plume is extending into places you haven't sampled,' study coauthor Christine Lee, a scientist at JPL in Southern California, said in a statement. 'It's like a diagnostic at the doctor's office that tells you, 'Hey, let's take a closer look at this.'' EMIT has also proven useful for detecting emissions of methane and carbon dioxide from gas leaks, assessing forest health, and estimating snowpack melting rates. Now, EMIT has yet another job. 'The fact that EMIT's findings over the coast are consistent with measurements in the field is compelling to water scientists,' Eva Scrivner, a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut and the study's lead author, said in a statement. 'It's really exciting.'
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Blue-green algae concerns prompt push for demolition of Mannus Lake Dam
Over a decade, Leigh McColl and his family would walk down to a nearby creek to cool off in the warmer months. The family swims ended in 2017 after testing of the water showed it contained blue-green algae, a bacteria that causes blooms in bodies of warm and still water. "Charlotte, my middle daughter, got extremely sick … we used to swim in [Mannus Creek] every night," Mr McColl said. Charlotte's symptoms included fatigue, respiratory infections, "ice-pick" pain, joint pain and severe brain fog. Mannus Creek runs through Mr McColl's property, south of Mannus Lake Dam at Tooma, in the New South Wales Riverina. The farmer said he had not been able to use the creek water for agriculture due to the algae blooms. "I've got business implications … we are in the second year of drought and we've got water that we can't use," Mr McColl said. The dam in the NSW Snowy Mountains was built in the early 1980s by a local man for private fishing use. It became property of the Snowy Valleys Council following the man's death and remains under council operation. Mr McColl is part of a group of landholders calling for the dam to be destroyed and turned into a wetland. A report to the council estimates the demolition cost would be $13 million. Simon Mitrovic, professor of freshwater ecology at the University of Technology Sydney, said blue-green algae was becoming more prevalent across Australia, with summer the most common season for blooms. "The surface of the water gets hotter than the bottom of the water, and those two layers actually separate," Dr Mitrovic said. Mr McColl's mother-in-law, Yola Cox, moved to Tooma in 1977 and lived on a property surrounded by Mannus Creek. "It was the most beautiful crystal-clear water and had every fish variety, and every platypus and every frog," she said. "Since then, a lot has changed. "We used to use it as drinking water. All my children grew up on the Mannus Creek water, and so did all of my animals." The federal government's Water Quality Australia website states that exposure to blue-green algae can cause damage to the nervous system and liver, as well as irritation to the skin and eyes. Mannus Lake Dam is no longer a source of drinking water, but Dr Mitrovic said the algae was "also a potential risk for people using water recreationally" and some animals. Dr Mitrovic was contracted by the Snowy Valleys Council in 2018 to conduct a study into the dam's blue-green algae. He recommended a mixer be placed in the dam in 2019 to help circulate the water, however, a follow-up report in 2022 found the effectiveness was minimal. Dr Mitrovic said his team had to wait until "a low inflow period" to test the efficacy of the mixer. "At that time, it did coincide with more algae blooms," he said. His most recent report, which indicated it would cost up to $13 million to deconstruct the dam, was discussed by the council last month. Councillors voted to further investigate the feasibility of a wetland. The Downstream Users Group advocates for demolishing the dam, which was under green alert last month for blue-green algae at low water densities. The algae blooms have been present at Mannus Lake Dam for about seven years. Spokesperson John Williams, who is Ms Cox's partner, said turning the dam into a wetland would "soak up" the algae. "The flow will be running the whole time," he said. "There will still be swimming, fishing, everything will be here, and it would be a lot better area." Fellow Tooma resident and Downstream Users Group member Roger Paton said it had been a long campaign calling for the destruction of the dam. "Whatever we send downstream goes to South Australia, so pretty much everyone will feel the consequences of it." Mr McColl believes his daughter's illness was the result of exposure to the blue-green algae. The family received inconclusive results after several medical appointments. After exhausting all options, they contacted a naturopath in Western Australia in 2024, who found Charlotte had Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). CIRS is a multi-symptom illness caused by inhaling biotoxins, which include mould and blue-green algae. The disease is not formally recognised in Australia, however, its biomarkers are the subject of a Macquarie University study in relation to mould and dampness.
