Asbestos Cement Fibres in Tap Water…& what to do

Asbestos Cement Fibres in Tap Water…& what to do

As members of the Society you will be aware that 29.6% of our drinking water pipes are made of asbestos cement, that they are coming to the end of their “lifespan” and that bursts are becoming more frequent.

You are also aware that when bursts occur, asbestos fibres are released into the drinking water pipes.

We continue to put pressure on Waverley Borough Council (who are the body responsible for the delivery of safe drinking water) and Thames Water to replace ALL these pipes.

Some residents have asked what they can do in the meantime to ensure that the water they drink is free of asbestos fibres.

The water filter jug market leader is Brita but they confirmed to us that their products do not filter out asbestos so we looked elsewhere and you may like to consider a ZeroWater product.

We have had lengthy discussions with ZeroWater in the UK and USA and you may wish to visit www.zerowater.co.uk – and possibly their US site www.zerowater.com

They have have advised us that independent testing confirms that their products filter out virtually all asbestos fibres.

Also, their products are inexpensive with current prices being £24.99 for a 7 cup capacity and £44.99 for a 23 cup capacity – and you also receive an electronic testing device so you know when to change the filter.

So, while we continue to fight the good fight with the powers that be, you may wish to invest in a ZeroWater filter jug!

Oh, we must not forget the “legal bit”! We are suggesting, in good faith, that you look at the merits of a ZeroWater filter jug but the Society does not accept any responsibility and/or liability for this product.

AGM 2nd March

AGM 2nd March

This Thursday, 2nd of March is the AGM of the Cranleigh Civic Society at the Band Room on Village Way at 7:30pm and never before have we been so much in need of your help. We have fought the good fight examining every detail of the huge number of houses planned and approved to be built in our village, only to be ignored and criticised by the borough council and other parties who stand to make huge financial gains.

In fact, they’ve openly said that nothing you or I say or do has any effect on the decisions they make about the quality, well-being and safety of existing resident’s lives. It seems we’re unimportant, compared to their desire to dump all the housing here despite the lack of infrastructure, thereby protecting Haslemere, Godalming and in the main Farnham.

Cranleigh only has 5 borough councillors, of which 2 have declared a pecuniary interest in development in Cranleigh, compared to the stronghold of 18 borough councillors for Farnham.

The dump on Cranleigh has only just begun, with this imbalance of power this will never stop.

Please join us now to take a stand against the outrageous abuse of this power and help us to keep up the fight for fair representation on the borough council and for fair recognition of the constraints of our rural roads, sewage treatment, public transport and the undermining of the character of our village.

This will not stop!  Areas of farmland and woods have already been decimated but we must still fight on. We have irrefutable evidence of the extent of Cranleigh’s ageing asbestos cement drinking water pipes and no clear evidence that this is not a risk to our health, despite asking the Drinking Water Inspectorate several times to confirm this they have not done so.  We have set up an online petition to ask our MP Anne Milton to help us find out what these asbestos pipes are doing to us and to our children.

We think we have a right to know, do you?

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/remove-asbestos-cement-drinking-water-pipes

We can also prove that the sewerage treatment works intends to pump out more and more pollution into our river, even though it is already polluted, and the Environment Agency is most likely going to roll over and play dead, and let them do this, whilst wildlife suffers and our environment suffers too.  We need to continue to push Waverley on this point, even if ultimately it may lead to the law courts.

We’ll bring you right up to date on Thursday with the battles we are fighting and let you know how you can help us.  And, never forget:

Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.”

 Margaret Mead Anthropologist

Is there Asbestos in your drinking water?

Is there Asbestos in your drinking water?

asbestos-cement-pipe-29-09-16-16-00

Cranleigh Civic Society was made aware recently by a concerned resident that some of the cold water supply pipes in our area are made from asbestos cement. The very word asbestos strikes fear into many people’s hearts. We contacted Thames Water who confirmed that indeed 29% of all the water supply pipes in Cranleigh are made from asbestos cement. We’re desperately searching for answers as to whether we need be concerned for the health of the village’s residents, so have written to all the relevant authorities below:

Thames Water

Drinking Water Inspectorate, Defra

Waverley Borough Council

Anne Milton, MP

Health and Safety Executive

Public Health England

 

Sue Penniston at DWI stated she believed there was no risk to public health, although she confirmed that they are still basing their advice on ingestion risk from old AC drinking water supply pipes from out of date World Health Organisation (WHO) reports dated 2003 and 2006. These reports concentrated on pulmonary risk, and barely mentioned non-pulmonary risk. Interestingly a later WHO report in 2014 has had the clause removed that had previously stated “no consistent evidence that ingested asbestos is hazardous to health”.

HSE responded that this doesn’t fall within their remit and removal of redundant buried asbestos cement pipes is not something they are obliged to do, and suggested we raise the matter with the local Environmental Health Department as they may be able to reassure the society about the health risks.  They believe asbestos cement is a relatively low risk asbestos product and that there is no additional risk created by leaving it buried in the ground when it is no longer required for carrying water. Cranleigh Civic Society believes that there could be a risk to the workmen digging in the same area, unaware of its presence.

The Environmental Health Department at Waverley Borough Council has responded to say they are satisfied with the advice DWI have given them on this subject.

We continue to enquire about this very troubling issue and will update the website when we have more information.