As part of our Clean Seas series, we’ve been highlighting the incredible work of water campaigners who are calling for action on the pollution of our waterways. Last month, we took a deep dive into the pollution crisis of England’s most iconic lake, Windermere, and Matt Staniek’s campaign to save the lake from ecological collapse.
This time, we’re looking closer to home. Chani Courtney, the representative for Surfers Against Sewage on the Isle of Wight, coordinates local action, meets water companies and local politicians to make progress on ending sewage pollution. Here, Chani explores her personal journey and how we can all take action.
Chani Courtney is fighting for clean seas on the Isle of Wight
I grew up in the West Country and rivers were my access to “the blue space”. I was part of Sea Cadets too. We went to the North Devon a lot for coasteering and kayaking around the coast. There’s a sense of self you get in blue spaces that get masked by life. But by being in a blue space, there's that connection to who you are, that core you.
"I love our blue spaces and I want my children to enjoy it. I need to do as much as I can to protect it."
Some time ago, I was at the sea with my eldest son, and we were paddling for a few hours. When I came in I looked at the Safer Seas app and saw there'd been a discharge at the time that we'd been out. I thought he’d be fine but he lost days of school. I'd done all the things SAS say. I'd sent the email to the MP, I'd sent the automatic one to the water company CEO, and I'd signed the petitions for the dirty money campaign. But that moment, that anger, frustration, that loss of control of a situation. I had to do something.
I love our blue spaces and I want my children to enjoy it. I need to do as much as I can to protect it.
The impact of sewage pollution on the Isle of Wight
Last year, the West Wight had 2,260 discharges of sewage into the seas, which equalled 22,183 hours. On the East Wight we had 1,605 discharges, which equalled 15,518 hours. It happens because the system gets overloaded. There's too much surface water from roads, roofs, and runoff going into the sewage system. It gets pumped out to sea to stop properties from flooding, which has a huge impact on marine life and people.
I've witnessed brown algae growth on the seagrasses. For many sea creatures, seagrass is a space to nurture their young. If seagrass is damaged, then there’s this terrible impact on marine life.
But it affects people too. Our mental health, our physical health, our economy. Many people need to head into the sea for physical pain management and for other ailments, rather than taking medication. There’s a big swimming community in Gurnard on the North Coast of the island, yet last year it was one of the worst polluted beaches in the country. If there’s pollution, they can't go in. That affects people in many ways.
Individual action
We need to feel empowered and see positive changes happening. One key thing I've learned is about holding back surface water. In my own space, I removed nine meters of impermeable area after discovering that a membrane under the topsoil was preventing water absorption. If you have a patio, you can drill holes in the joins to let water flow down rather than run off. Another option is installing a water butt. You can buy a regular water butt, drill a hole a third of the way down, and fit a hose with a filter to slowly release water back into the ground. Or simply empty it before a storm to capture rainwater.
"We’re so interconnected that these discussions spread, and tangible actions follow. It’s amazing how one conversation can set things in motion."
Southern Water, after significant campaigning, has also released a community fund, offering money to install systems to manage water. If you have a driveway, consider digging out a small area and filling it with gravel to hold water longer and filter pollutants.
If you're part of a community group, encourage spaces like parish halls to install planters or sustainable urban drainage systems to capture water, increase biodiversity, and improve air quality.
In our small, connected community on the island, conversations can lead to real change. You might talk to someone in the council who decides to install sustainable drainage on all its estate as it promised in the Sewage full council motion in May, or a friend on the parish council might agree to create a rain garden with wildflowers and water management features. Someone else might find space for a tree on a roundabout. We’re so interconnected that these discussions spread, and tangible actions follow. It’s amazing how one conversation can set things in motion.
Community action
If people want to go further, turning up to things is the best start. Go along if someone has organised a beach clean. Go to parish council meetings, go to flood meetings, go to speak to a business that you've got a connection with. Activism doesn't have to be standing up with a placard.
Having conversations with people goes a long way. Where I live, there’s a lot of really innovative stuff happening, community collaboration, and positive progress. In our community, there's somebody who's going to make a seaweed farm at the end of one of the sewage pipes and there's somebody else who's trying to get a rain garden in their school.
If you push just a little bit, there really are endless possibilities.
Resources:
Become a Surfers Against Sewage Rep
