Pippa Heylings celebrates Bathing Water designation: but now water companies must act
Pippa Heylings joined with Cam Valley Forum campaigners on Sunday 19th May for a swim to celebrate Sheep’s Green in Cambridge receiving a Bathing Water Designation. The designation means that the water will be tested every week through the official bathing season (15 May - 31 September) and water quality information published on the national Swiminfo website. Should the water quality be found to be poor - which we expect to happen - Anglian Water will be under a legal obligation to make the investments needed to reduce pollution. It is likely the treatment works at Haslingfield will receive significant investment as a result of the designation.
This designation represents a huge win for all those who have campaigned locally to clean up the River Cam led by Cam Valley Forum. However, Pippa is determined to keep the pressure on Anglian Water.
Pippa said “We have known for some time the Haslingfield sewage treatment works needed investment so I hope this designation will ensure that happens. However, I am now calling on Anglian Water to match that commitment at all other small and overwhelmed sewage treatment works along our precious chalk streams in South Cambs: the Rivers Rhee, Mel, Shep and the Granta, so that we can be confident the river is really safe to swim and is health for wildlife, too.”
Please see Pippa's campaign page and sign her petition to save our chalk streams below: