So Sad to See This

[Worthy]

The condition of the river Wensum has been brought to the attention of the press this week and it just so sad to see this happening isn't it?

http://norfolk.iwitness24.co.uk/en/phot ... ensum.html

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/iwi ... _1_1184824

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

It is a very sad sight indeed, but this sort of thing is only to be expected when the local authority remove vital refuse bins purely and simply because they don`t want the expense of dealing with it, yet still charge extortionate rates for waste disposal. I`m not saying this sort of thing is acceptable, it certainly IS`NT. But, when people visit a major city and can`t find a refuse bin, what else can that authority expect.

Something else that fuels this sort of antisocial behaviour is the fact that fast food outlets always put the food you buy in polystirene catons, when good old paper, or news paper would be a lot better. At least it would bio degrade in a relatively short time, which is better than seeing plastic Maccy D cartons floating around.

[C.Ricko]

Good photo, are there any more or is it just the one?

I think the reason the rubbish has accumulated there is the same reason the mud has done the same.

I think we have had a high tide since then so all is well!

Not trying to be flippant but this is the centre of Norwich, I dont think the rest of the river network is like this.

best of luck.

[Worthy]

Good photo, are there any more or is it just the one?

I think the reason the rubbish has accumulated there is the same reason the mud has done the same.

I think we have had a high tide since then so all is well!

Not trying to be flippant but this is the centre of Norwich, I dont think the rest of the river network is like this.

best of luck.

If you think that is the case C.Ricko then I suggest you follow the river Yare on foot from Whitlingham to say Surlingham as best you can, you will witness the most disgusting mess you have ever laid yours eyes upon this includes multiple syringes, colostomy bags, millions of cotton buds and every bit if human detritus you can think of, and this is only what has floated, the river is no better than an open sewer.

[C.Ricko]

Sorry, I thought you were meaning the river Wensum not the wensum valley as a whole.

I agree people leave rubbish everywhere and when it gets to the river it is hard to get out.

I suppose when the rubbish reaches the beaches it is easy to do a litter pick but getting people in boats is

way harder.

You dont get this on the northern broads

[Worthy]

Sorry, I thought you were meaning the river Wensum not the wensum valley as a whole.

I agree people leave rubbish everywhere and when it gets to the river it is hard to get out.

I suppose when the rubbish reaches the beaches it is easy to do a litter pick but getting people in boats is

way harder.

You dont get this on the northern broads

No you certainly get lot less on the northern broads and rivers, but you still get a little, my feelings with the Wensum and the Yare are that Norwich is primarily the beginning of the problem as you obviously get people throwing rubbish in, but you also have at least two storm drains, that when we have any amount of rain just pump raw sewerage straight into the river. Yes it's just shocking as only a few miles down river kids are paddling and sometimes swimming or at least splashing about a bit during the summertime, yes it doesn't bear thinking about, does it?

[C.Ricko]

dont forget that until relatively recently boats did not have toilet holding tanks and pumped sewage directly into the rivers (some dirty sailing boats still do )

when my Dad was a lad in the 1930s he regularly swam in Oulton broad at the Mutford Lock end where the wind would blow all the rubbish, he said the rats could walk from one bank to the other!

I have heard of old broadland guides describing how to weight rubbish bags down to dispose of them in the water, luckily this does not happen now but there is too much plastic packaging used by consumers and some will always find its way into the rivers. I still do not think this is a new problem in some areas but the 'new' rubbish such as needles is.

Luckilly we have biodegradable carrier bags which means we dont see them so much in the rivers but are a pain when we use them to store things in the garage long term

[brandenjg]

Me and my friend Aydan had to swim in the exact area from the photos (behind zaks) after our inflatable got punctured. I can say first hand that the water is disgusting. Probably 90% of the ground is made of feminine pads, bottles and cans. The problem with that specific spot is that alot of alcoholics and homeless drink and inject around cow tower as the walking route is locked off at night unless you specifically cut through a hedge, so they dont get disturbed and the police leave them to it. And when they go they throw all their rubbish straight in the river. Also if you continue to follow the river away from riverside towards toys r us, theres a water treatment place which is the end of the line for the rubbish so it accumulates around there aswell.

It's sad so much rubbish ends up in the river but with limited bins people see it as a readily available dumping area.

[Hylander]

"this includes multiple syringes, colostomy bags, millions of cotton buds and every bit if human detritus you can think of, and this is only what has floated, the river is no better than an open sewer"

This sounds very much like hospital or medical waste and should be reported to the Environmental Officer at the Council. Sounds me as if a medical establishment is just dumping their rubbish which should be incinerated.

On a more general note: If people these days are not raised to keep themselves or the countryside tidy what hope is there. We are blessed with a beautiful County let us make the most of it.

[pks1702]

Lord Paul,

You should have said it was you

[mbird]

I agree it is a horrible sight to see litter in the river, and in no way to be condoned. However, it is a city centre river, so it's almost to be expected I would say due to the inherent lazyness of the human species.

[Guest]

A reflection on our wider society I am afraid. Laziness, lack of pride in our country / cities / towns / natural environments and general lack of consideration for others. Why should someone go to the bother of carrying something with them until they find a bin when they can just dump it and it becomes someone else's problem. It's all very well blaming the authorities and councils for not clearing up after it but primary responsibility still rests with the individuals who are causing the problem in the first place.

Sorry for the cynicism but littering has long been a major bugbear of mine and, I have to say the Norwich, and Norfolk in general, is actually somewhat better than where I used to live in Ashford. It became such a problem on the estate where I lived that a group of locals got together and organised a major community clean up and the local press and TV even attended. But pretty much within a week it was all back. The authorities certainly have a role to play but there is still a limit to what they can do....

[Antares_9]

Couldn't agree more Simon, nice to see you posting again BTW.

[Palmtree]

Good to see you back Simon.

As to the rubbish and litter, think of it as gold dust to future Norwich archeologists

Ian

[Brian]

It's all very well blaming the authorities and councils for not clearing up after it but primary responsibility still rests with the individuals who are causing the problem in the first place.

....

Spot on !!!