4 hours agoShareSaveBBC/Kevin ChurchWith the alternatives to sewage sludge disposal costly, there’s broad agreement that the recycling of sludge into fertiliser has to be made to work.”In principle, I think using properly treated human sewage to spread on the land, put it back into the ground for growing food in the UK, that’s the right thing to do,” Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the cook, writer and broadcaster, tells me at his small farm and café in east Devon. He’s also signed the protest letter to the environment minister.”We know it’s happening. Our farmers are rightly worried. We’ve got to take action. Government’s got to take action,” Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall says.”That means regulations are not voluntary regulations or guidelines, [they should be] legally enforceable regulations that stop these pollutants getting into the sewage and onto our land.”Despite the concerns there are still plenty of farmers who see the sludge as a cheap way to fertilise their fields.Will Oliver is on the National Farmers Union Crops Board. He says he applies about 800 tonnes of sewage sludge every year to fields where he grows maize destined for animal feed.The water company provides the sludge for free and Mr Oliver says he’s careful how much he uses and trusts the company to make sure it doesn’t have chemical contamination.”If we can be sensible with how it’s used and spread on the land, it can be positive for farmers and for the water companies,” he says.”I’m doing it because it’s adding value. It’s improving our organic matter. It’s benefitting the crop that I’m growing, and it’s reducing my spend on bagged fertilisers.”The Department for Environment Fisheries and Agriculture did not contest anything the former chair of the EA Ms Howard Boyd told the BBC.”We need to see the safe and sustainable use of sludge in agriculture to help clean up our waterways,” a spokesperson said.”The Independent Water Commission will explore a range of issues, including the regulatory framework for sludge spreading, and we continue to work closely with the Environment Agency, water companies and farmers in this area.”Water UK represents the water companies of England and Wales, said: “Although there are some concerns that some bioresources may contain contaminants, such as microplastics and forever chemicals (PFAS), there are no legal standards for them and, in some cases, no agreed assessment techniques.””Any standards and techniques are a matter for the government and the regulator and need to be based on firm evidence and detailed scientific research.”Additional reporting by Tom Ingham, Kevin Church and Tony Jolliffe …
