Investigation tools 1.

The first in a series aimed at equipping you with the tools to start or develop your group or yourself to fight for healthy waters.

We are going to cover desk and field investigation in a short series

This is number one of two or more blogs on desk based investigation and it is where, with a bit of imagination and effort, you will get some of your most memorable and interesting discoveries.

Know and follow the law and work in the public interest and you will stay on the high ground and out of the swamp.

Use it to get what you are after when people and organisations try to block your way or dupe you - yes, companies, regulators and the government will do that. - some more than others.

The two big laws we use a lot: The Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

It won't take you long to read the basics and to know where to look when you come up against a problem. Knowledge is power, so 20 minutres reading what other people may not bother to will give you an edge.

The Information Commissioner is the authority that regulates compliance with information law, and its site is a good place to go to learn what you need https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/foi/freedom-of-information-act-foia-and-environmental-information-regulations-eir/

The FOIA applies to public bodies, and the EIR also applies (due to excellent work by Fish Legal) to companies providing public body functions, such as utility companies. Learn what Environmental Information is - it covers a wide range - maybe wider than you think.

Have a good look around the internet before using this valuable tactic, so you are not wasting anyone's time, including your own and ask yourself what you are going to do with the information when you get it.

WASP tip - No matter how irritating the response, never get wound up (or at least don't show it) and always respond professionally and reasonably. One day, those annoying obstructions and obfuscations may become as useful for you as they have for us - see Dirty Business, Channel 4, for the proof.

Photos and videos of what your waters were like before they were polluted - seek them out and treasure them, for they are gold dust. Before and after images speak 1000 words.

This pair of images from the same location, taken by Peter Hammond, gave a massive boost to WASP when we started. This got our MP engaged.

Know your sewage works and storm overflows.

This is so much easier than when we started, and how easy depends on your water company because they have to provide near-live data of untreated sewage discharges. You can check their own websites and you can use sites like https://sewagemap.co.uk and https://top-of-the-poops.org/

To short cut your way to identifying illegally operating outfalls, only in the Thames Water region, so far, look at this map and report from WASP's Prof Peter Hammond https://www.peter-hammond.com/TWREPORT.pdf

This will also help you understand what illegality looks like.

Then look at the satellite images. You can easily make the link with the multi layered maps available on the Rivers Trust map

https://theriverstrust.org/sewage-map

If you are curious about what has been done to expand and upgrade sewage works over the years, you can use Google Earth Pro historical imagery before enquiring with water companies. Often you will see very few, if any, changes other than increased housing densities.

Historical Images start at 1945 and you have to wait for the 2000s to get new and frequent images.

This is Oxford

You can add some internet or local archive/library research to build your knowledge and media stories.

From the Oxford Mail. 1957 built under public ownership for £800K which is about £17M in today's money (BofE calculator). That was enough buy only a 3 tank upgrade at Witney STW in today's rip off costs from privatised water companies.

Next time, Environment Agency Permits, ecological information and more from WASP's Geoff Tombs cache of knowledge.

If you have a group (it doesn't matter how small or informal) and you haven't joined the https://www.sewagecampaignnetwork.org.uk/ yet- that is where we and others like ESCAPE, Save Windermere, Ilkley Clean Rivers, SoS Whitstable, and more will direct a lot of support via Webinars and online resources, and where you can engage with people with similar aims or find a local group to join.

WASP tip. Play to your strengths and be flexible enough to grab the low hanging fruit - there is no need to try to do everything at once. And enjoy it, you are on the side of righteousness!