It’s election day in Guernsey and SAS are urging the electorate to vote for those candidates that support a move away from the raw sewage ‘pump and dump’ philosophy currently used on the island.Earlier this week SAS campaigners went ‘turdabout’ in Guernsey, by dragging a giant inflatable poo around Bellegreve Bay from the back of a R.I.B and then descending on St Peter Port’s high street to leaflet voters on which candidates support full sewage treatment.

An SAS survey has already found learnt that 55% of Guernsey’s election candidates believe the current system of dumping the island’s raw sewage at sea each day to be unsatisfactory and support raising the level of sewage treatment applied. 44% of the island’s election candidates go further by supporting a full (tertiary level) sewage treatment policy. The full survey results can be viewed by at http://www.sas.org.uk/pr/2008/guernsey-elections-1.php

SAS are urging the public to make the issue of sewage treatment a key election issue and are providing information to the electorate in the run up to polling day that highlights where candidates stand on an issue that has already come close to success in recent months.

SAS believes the island of Guernsey should be adopting a full sewage treatment policy to bring them into line with the way many seaside resorts treat sewage in order to protect the health of recreational water users using the sea. SAS are disgusted by Guernsey’s raw sewage dumping policy and believe money should be invested to better protect the health of all recreational water users, improve water quality standards to meet a demanding new EU Bathing Water Directive and add value to the local economy through increased tourism visits based on year round clean seas.

SAS also learnt, that of those deputies seeking re-election only 42% support improved sewage treatment and more worryingly only 28% would categorically support full sewage treatment. SAS therefore believe that if the electorate wants to see improved sewage treatment they’ll have to put their faith in a majority of new deputies rather than rely on the old guard. (SAS would refer the electorate to check the complete survey findings to see which current deputies will continue to support sewage treatment improvements).

Candidates in Vale district were found to be the most supportive of improved sewage treatment (66%), whilst candidates in the South East district were found to be the least supportive of seeing sewage treatment improvements (45%).

Richard Hardy, SAS Campaigns Director says:

“This election provides a golden opportunity for the electorate to vote in candidates committed to ending the dumping of raw sewage into the sea off Guernsey. It’s been over 10 years since the States recommended updating the sewerage infrastructure and move away from a woefully inadequate system that you would normally only find in the poorest countries of the world. Yet they’ve consistently failed to do this despite updated reports and numerous voting occasions. As more and more people head to the coast to enjoy bathing and recreational watersport, SAS predict many could turn their back on what Guernsey has to offer unless it makes radical changes. If that were to be the case SAS would be the first to shout about the improvements made to the sewerage infrastructure”!

www.sas.org.uk