LOCAL firm Haigh Environmental teamed up with Ross Rowing Club to raise awareness of the issue of water pollution for its annual regatta and put forward solutions that can be deployed to tackle it.

Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman has highlighted that the River Wye has been polluted by various sources for decades, and that campaigns have been launched to increase public focus on water quality, at a time of growing interest in water-based recreation, with the attention of local groups fixed on solutions.

Haigh Environmental - part of Haigh Group - has been headquartered in Ross-on-Wye since the 1950s, where it manufactures wastewater screens – a crucial component in water treatment systems.

The firm employs around 60 local staff at the site, which also manufactures NHS waste management devices and imports large-scale package treatment plants, offering a viable alternative to septic tanks in rural areas.

As part of its longstanding partnership with Ross Rowing Club, Haigh Environmental supported the club with the installation of a pump station for the club’s main building and campsite in 2022, treating wastewater on-site and connecting it to the mains sewer for the first time.

The late Nigel Shepherd and the Shepherd family, who still run Haigh, have been longstanding supporters of the club.

Haigh Environmental director Luke Shepherd said: “We are proud to be offering world-class solutions to rural water pollution, at a time where the public has never cared more about this issue.

“Septic tanks are a hidden problem when it comes to leaching pollutants into our waterways, and most people don’t know about this.”

Mr Shepherd added: “While we work all over the country, with water companies and private landowners alike, we are immensely proud of our ties to Ross-on-Wye.

“We are thrilled to be able to play our part in cleaning up the River Wye, helping Ross Rowing Club replace their septic tanks with a modern, flood-resistant pumping station, and now to be sponsoring the Ross Regatta.

“It’s a great platform to talk about the serous issue of water pollution, and raise awareness about the solutions.”

Ross Rowing Club celebrated its 150th anniversary with its annual regatta last weekend and chairman, Jonathan Preece, said: “The club was extremely grateful to have the support of Haigh Environmental in connecting our site to mains sewage.

“It means that our septic tank, which was close to the river, is no longer in use – so the risk of pollution into the River Wye is greatly reduced.

“We are further delighted to be partnering with Haigh Environmental for the Ross Rowing Regatta, where we can highlight the importance of water quality in the local area.”

Local water issues were on the agenda when local Member of Parliament Jesse Norman paid a visit to Haigh’s Ross-on-Wye site earlier this month.

The MP has previously highlighted the issue of water pollution in the Wye and beyond, speaking about the issue in Parliament and galvanising local stakeholders to table solutions.

During his site visit, Mr Norman saw up-close the company’s state-of-the-art facility, where they can test different scenarios to help achieve optimum wastewater quality.

The MP was presented with two bottles of water, showing the murky inputs, versus the clean outputs from the FujiClean system, which is being deployed by at sites across the UK, including with some of the country’s biggest water companies.

Mr Norman said: “Haigh Environmental are doing a brilliant job in pioneering new solutions to point sources of pollution, such as household septic tanks. And what better place to highlight this great work than Ross Regatta, right on the river in beautiful Ross?"