I found the great pamphlet on the current situation on the Blue Green Algae. There is a link to the Environment Agency campaign which is reasonably interesting. Again as i mentioned before they blame detergent use for the outbreak rather than questioning what has changed from the previous years where there hasn’t been any incidents.
They did blame a particularly still summer, and did mention the cause of the problem can be a combination of fertilizer leeching from soil, but as most of the land is upland grazing it doesn’t seem likely. Also they mention run off from the land, which to me seems like the most likely suspect. As over the last few years we have seen a dramatic increase in the more intense rain events, and being out on the hills, the sheer amount of soil being eroded by these events is apparent when you use the mountains in the immediate area all the time.
So whilst we might not be the cause, the weather seems to be blamed for that, it is interesting that the Environment Agency see’s the locals as being part of the cure. We have to look for low or no phosphate washing powder, only use a full washing machine and only use an appropriate amount of detergent!
Personally, I think they should also look at the treatment works, as I doubt that it is anywhere near ‘state of the art’. Just how much effect will the Environment Agencies Campaign have, and when it doesn’t work will they just blame those nasty locals for being too clean?