Against the background of reports claiming that Scotland needs to monitor more of its storm drains, the above news from NE England is striking.
In the Guardian this morning but not being covered by BBC England, nor BBC Tees nor BBC Tyne & Wear:
At least 57 people fell ill with sickness and diarrhoea after competing in sea swimming events at the World Triathlon Championship Series in Sunderland, health officials confirmed this weekend.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/05/investigation-after-57-world-triathlon-championship-swimmers-fall-sick-and-get-diarrhoea-in-sunderland-race
I wondered then, why no comparable stories from Scotland’s media?
I searched for ‘sewage‘ on the BBC website and went back to 1 June 2023. There were 40 reports, none on Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=sewage&d=news_ps&page=4
I Googled ‘BBC Scotland sewage swimmers.‘ I got only:
Swimmers told to avoid water after Dundee sewer pipe leak
and
Sewage leak blamed for illness in River Tweed swimmers
both in 2022.
In the second case, we could read:
Scottish Water has investigated the issue and believed the pipe is privately owned.
As spokesperson said: “We investigated this issue when it was reported to us. We believe this is a private pipe and it is the responsibility of its owner to repair.
“Sepa are aware of this issue and are liaising directly with the private owner.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-62523418
On triathlons, in 2014, BBC Scotland reported this:
Glasgow 2014: Sepa ‘confident’ about triathlon water quality
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has said the water quality at Strathclyde Park loch will be safe for triathlon swimmers at Glasgow 2014.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/triathlon/27351710
I can find no subsequent reports of actual sickness nor of diarrhoea.
For facts on Scotland’s storm drains, see: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2023/07/20/leading-expert-most-of-scotlands-waters-are-not-cause-for-concern-so-do-not-need-the-same-level-of-monitoring-as-takes-place-in-england/
For facts on Scotland’s bathing water quality see: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/12/13/massive-improvement-in-scotlands-bathing-water-quality/
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Ah, but … Sunderland is quite near Scotland. In fact, a BBC Scotland presenter heard someone two tables away say that she had been told by a friend that she’d heard someone at the tennis club say – even though she is a bit deaf – that she’d been told that a neighbour had seen a tanker with sludge driven by Humza Yousaf or somebody very like him, except it was a woman, which was travelling towards the North-east of England – or maybe it was Devon – and might have dumped the sewage where the triathlon was taking place.
When asked, her Dameness Jaikie Baillie said, “This is the kind of thing thae EssEmPee ur daein a the time, so they ur. It’s pure bad, so it is. Labour urnae makin any pledges tae clean up wur waters if we get intae power, because it wid be uncosted, but the Scottish SMP/Green Government jist isnae spending enough money oan this.”
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Surprising that such a sh*t story ( literally) has not been seized upon by the sh*t journalists who produce the sh*t from Pacific Quay !
Perhaps they were too busy reporting sh*t about pigeon droppings at QEUH or regurgitating their sh*t about ferries ?
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Unsurprisingly BBC Tees & Tyne & Wear haven’t reported it either. Is it just because it’s a weekend and they cannae be bothered?
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The ‘backdrop’ in Scotland is the continuing embarrassment of “Sepa are aware of this issue and are liaising directly with the private owner” whilst DEFRA are up in Court again for failing to to their job.
It is worth highlighting that DEFRA’s officials and inspectorate would like nothing more than to be allowed to do their job with the same freedoms and powers as enjoyed by SEPA enjoy in Scotland, instead of being strangled by political meddling and interference for more than 3 decades .
HMG’s latest choice of “Jabba the Coffey” as Minister in charge of Defra, is almost re-writing history live, with Drake’s myth transformed to “I see no Shits”..
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