press release
    3rd December 2004

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) campaigners delivered a petition, signed in the end by over 2000 (1921 signatures before the day started!) local residents, to Guernsey's Chief Minister Mr. Morgan yesterday. The petition calls on the Chief Minister of the States of Guernsey to urgently implement a full, tertiary level, sewage treatment programme for Guernsey in order to stop the discharge of raw sewage into the sea. It was less than 2 months ago that an SAS Hitsquad arrived on the island to launch the campaign with local recreational water users from Guernsey. Since then, more than 250 people a week have signed the petition pledging their support to the campaign! In St Peter's Port yesterday, SAS campaigners were joined by local water users to meet and present the petition to Guernsey's Chief Minister.

SAS urged the Minister to support islander's calls for an urgent updating of the island's antiquated sewerage infrastructure in order to enhance water quality and the island's reputation for tourism. This was the second visit from SAS to Guernsey in the past 2 months. To kick-start the campaign in October, a public meeting was held at Guernsey Yacht Club. It was packed with locals who care deeply about their water quality and was also well attended by local media and other interested parties, including government representatives. During our original visit SAS learnt that the States of Guernsey had been compiling a report into the best way to deal with the sewage. The report is due for completion early next year but SAS is fearful that the report does not support a full sewage treatment system.

SAS hopes the presentation of this petition will show the States of Guernsey that the people of Guernsey believe there is only one way to deal with the islands sewage - full tertiary treatment! SAS has been dismayed by the low level of investment the island's sewerage infrastructure has seen, especially in light of Jersey's embracement of a full sewage treatment policy in the early 1990's. With the use of Ultraviolet (UV) Light Disinfection - a form of tertiary level sewage treatment Jersey has become a haven for watersports enthusiasts and has boosted is economy through a healthy tourism industry backed up by clean and safe water. Guernsey has definitely been missing out! SAS have recently received water quality results for the 2004 bathing season and were dismayed to see that almost half (6) of the island's top 13 bathing beaches failed to meet the EU Guideline standard on water quality. Whilst all met the lower mandatory standard, Guernsey should be striving to meet the higher standard that many popular tourist resorts across the UK meet and exceed on an annual basis.A full sewage treatment programme would help Guernsey reach this higher standard more easily.

Andy Cummins, SAS Campaigner says: "Guernsey deserves full, tertiary sewage treatment and SAS will work hard to ensure that all of Guernsey's recreational water users, bathers and tourists get the clean and safe water they deserve. SAS urge the States of Guernsey to recognise this need and the residents wishes in their report on sewage treatment due to be completed early next year."

For more information please contact Andy Cummins or Richard Hardy on Tel: 01872 553001 or Mob: 07711 767548

Back