Jon Scales on the legal ramifications of dumping sewage in rivers, and John Pedersen on the benefits of compost toilets
Anglian Water keeps discharging raw sewage into the River Colne upstream of Wivenhoe. I know this because I often see and smell it. Apparently, this is not illegal. Meanwhile, the chief executive has received £1.3m in pay, including a £337,651 bonus for keeping shareholders satisfied. I pay Anglian Water to properly dispose of my faeces, but it doesn’t. If I chose to withhold payment for the part of my water bill that relates to sewage disposal, and instead defecate into a bucket and chuck it in the river, am I breaking the law? Legal opinion gratefully received.
Dr Jon Scales
Wivenhoe, Essex
• We’ve been using a compost toilet for more than 10 years. It uses very little water, costs very little, makes excellent compost, and causes no damage to rivers. While I appreciate that most people don’t have a garden big enough to usefully use the resulting compost, surely it’s time for a rethink? We can’t go on wasting so much water, and sending so much plant nutrient into rivers while struggling to afford fertiliser.
John Pedersen
Totnes, Devon
