Did you know that as little as one litre of oil, can pollute up to 100 million litres of the water? When oil, chemicals or hydrocarbons pollute the water it is extremely detrimental to the aquatic animals, plants and other wildlife, is some cases the effect can be fatal.

The long term effects of oils spills can cause damage years after any spill ever occurred, with some of the wildlife never returning to it’s original home creating irreversible effects to the eco system. This effect can continue to cause devastating effects to the wildlife
and those that rely on area for agricultural means for decades. The short term effects of oil can smother fish resulting in depleting fish stocks. The plants surrounding local rivers and streams absorb oil through the roots destroying any vegetation and the animals that survive around these rivers could be poisoned by the oil waste.

As a polluter there are severe consequences. There is legislation that states ‘If the spillage goes into the groundwater network, then any costs incurred by the Enviromental Agency, will be recovered from the polluter. POLLUTER PAYS POLICY

Not only do you have to cover the costs of by the environment agency, you have to cover the on going costs to restore the river or lake back to its natural habitat. This isn’t a one off payment, if the fish, plants and wildlife don’t take straight away, then you have to slowly keep applying until it’s restored to natural order.

There are many different pollutants that are harmful to our water ways, oils and chemicals being obvious ones, however kitchen waste can also cause many problems. An largely unknown devastating pollutant is milk, it contains bacteria a living organism, it grows when within the water, deoxygenating the water and killing the fish. This is why is vital to have Pollution Prevention procedures in place. It is better to prevent the spill from happening that to be clearing it up.

‘‘A British food producer was fined £8,000 for discharging dirty effluent into a stream at Boston. It was also ordered to pay full Environment Agency costs of over £4,000. The Environment Agency sample testing indicated that the stream was likely to have been polluted for more than a few days which had a significant effect on invertebrates in the water. Although this incident happened more than a year ago the natural wildlife is still being monitored to ensure there are no further adverse effects”. Could you afford to be in the same situation?

Spills are preventable, if you have suitably trained staff, monitoring equipment for all your interceptors and drain closures devices to make sure that any pollutants are never allowed to reach the river. To find out about your obligations you download the latest Pollution Prevention Guidelines here

If you would like to read more about the Water Resources Act. You can read the most recently amended one here.

References:

http://www.oiltanktub.com/expert/pdf/Ontario_Mutual_Insurance_Association.pdf

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/57/section/161D

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/138474.aspx?page=2&month=3&year=2012

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/3104/contents/made

As the South of England faces the worst drought since the summer of 1976 many questions are being asked how we can all contribute to the conservation of our water resources.

Hose pipe bans are already being considered and the farming industry has raised concerns on a lack of water causing an unhealthy crop.

The government and organisations are looking at ways in which the impact of this drought can be reduced with many investigating alternative, short and long term solutions.

Individuals can make a difference:

• Take a short shower and not a bath

• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth

• Water the plants with a watering can and not a hose pipe

• Only use the washing machine and dishwasher when full.

Individually these small changes can make a big difference, not only to the conservation of water but also to the cost of your water bills.

Commercially there are many things that can be done and the installation of a Rainwater Harvesting System is an extremely effective way to reduce water consumption. The building industry is already starting to tackle the longer term problem, by installing rainwater harvesting tanks in new build developments in both residential and commercial ventures. This system provides excellent use of rainwater in grey water utilities.
Interestingly www.waterguide.org.uk states that “Business owners can claim 100% tax relief on rainwater harvesting systems under the enhanced capital allowance scheme as long as the product is approved on the water technologies list and a typical domestic rain harvesting system can yield up to 70% of the non-potable water needs of an average family of 4, with a typical pay back period of 3 years”

When we consider the benefits of water conservation it makes sense to make the changes now. Some water providers state that the if usage continues at its existing rate then water shortages and restrictions could become a permanent fixture in some parts of the UK.

For more information on rainwater harvesting click here

As the cold snap grips the country we are all working hard to minimise disruption to our normal lives. With this current bout of icy conditions forecast to last weeks the use of anti-freeze will rise rapidly. Anti-freeze is used in many transport modes including cars, planes and even the airport runways. This is the reality of modern life but what implication does this chemical have on the environment?

Although anti-freeze will naturally breakdown within a few weeks it is important to acknowledge that by this point the damage can have already been done. Anti-freeze spilt on gardens will kill most plant life and an estimated 10,000 cats and dogs are accidentally poisoned annually. High concentrates of anti-freeze released into the watercourse can damage the natural eco systems and kill fish. Toxic levels can be found in high volume traffic areas such as runways and motorways.

Obviously the airports and highway agencies have to use large quantities of antifreeze and grit in order to keep the country moving, unfortunately these chemicals move from tarmac to the earth and drains very quickly and once mixed with water can be very hard to detect to ensure safe disposal. Current detection systems can be expensive and ineffective and many agencies are looking at ways in which we can reduce the impact anti-freeze has on the environment.

Unknowingly to many consumers there are two kinds of anti-freeze; there are propylene glycol based products, which are biodegradable, anti-corrosive, and recyclable, and work just as well as the highly toxic ethylene glycol antifreeze. The difference being is that the second of the two is slightly cheaper. Our advice too all consumers is to ensure you use propylene based products and ensure that any waste anti-freeze is disposed of correctly.

The Environment Agency has produced a guide for business in the storage and disposal of anti-freeze with the use of drain sealants and secondary containment systems in order to prevent leaks. For more information click here.

For more information on anti-freeze detection and disposal please contact us.