Sitting just by the Great Wall of Ramsgate having lunch in the adjacent cafe, as an Environment Agency van pulls up, out pops to a couple of people, one in what I take to be protective clothing.
After five or so minutes they return I assume a sample is placed in the back of the van.
The thought occurs is there anything Southern Water are keeping schtum about?
It is just the regular weekly water test,the safety gear is to stop contamination of sample,we see these tests throughout the year but more during the summer season,nothing to worry about.
ReplyDeleteTwo people to collect one sample on sunday pay rates?Must be health and safety or heavy water. Nice little earner.
DeleteThey're on minimum wage, the same as every other day.
DeleteIt is the water sampling point.
ReplyDeleteVery unusual though for it to be done on a Sunday - maybe extra sampling after the 10 tonnes of sewage at sea. Contamination outfits is unusual too for a seawater sample.
The Ramsgate water pumps have had increased SW activity after the separate 10 tonnes of grit in them last year.
Sampling at the Manston aquifer and Pegwell outfall and Thor would be useful - although we know how polluted these are - and publishing each data sample.
Not publishing the water samples is very concerning. We know how badly TDC handled Manston air and noise monitoring.
ReplyDeleteThe samples, last time I looked into this are taken on a Monday the results get to the Environment Agency on the following Thursday or Friday as the cultures have to be grown. The results are published on the EA website via the what’s in your backyard link, bung in your postcode and select bathing water quality on the dropdown.
ReplyDeleteThe last Ramsgate results available are for the 25th of last month, which was a Monday, so I suspect what you saw was something else, probably related to one of the emergency discharge pipes in Ramsgate.