'Huge poo islands' prompt calls for Somerset river clean-up

Somerset West and Taunton Council declared an ecological emergency in September 2020

Somerset councillors have called for rivers to be cleaned-up after reports of "poo islands" forming in waterways.

Somerset West and Taunton Council wants more funding for the Environment Agency (EA) and increased inspections of farms and water companies.

A motion was approved and the council will now write to environment secretary George Eustice.

An EA report in September 2020 found that all of Somerset's rivers were "polluted beyond legal limits"

Sigurd Reimers, who took part in Extinction Rebellion protests in Taunton in 2020, told the council it was important for EA budgets to be improved to tackle the problem.

"In April 2021 the head of the Environment Agency drew attention to the fact that over the past decade, there had been cuts of more than 60 per cent to its total budget.

"I would emphasise the importance of restoring adequate funding to ensure that the EA can carry out its duties effectively," he added.

Pollution from untreated sewage, as well as harmful chemicals and microplastics, is a problem in many rivers

Councillor John Hunt said he has been contacted by a resident who had encountered "huge mounds of sewage" while swimming.

"She actually sent me some photos of huge poo islands," he added.

The motion to write to Mr Eustice was put forward by councillor Dixie Darch, who said water companies needed to prevent sewage from polluting rivers, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

"While improvements have been made in reducing chemical pollutants from industrial effluent, the increase in sewage discharges and chemical pollution from intensive agriculture and livestock farming mean that we've gone backwards rather than forwards," she said.

Ms Darch called on the government to restore the EA's budget to pre-2010 levels, ensure prosecution of offenders and provide funding to local authorities for schemes to prevent pollutants entering water.