<p>After opposition parties and environmentalists slammed the measures as insufficient and costly for consumers, Britain's environment minister on Saturday defended government plans to tackle sewage releases into rivers and sea.</p>

<p>Prompting widespread horror among the public, recent discharges of sewage into popular river and sea bathing areas have caused activists to raise an alarm over waters shared with the European Union.</p>

<p>Several members of parliament have complained to the European Commission about British sewage allegedly being poured into the bloc's water bodies.</p>

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<p>Requiring them to invest £56 billion ($66 billion) over 25 years to improve infrastructure such as storm overflows, the UK government on Friday announced the "toughest targets ever" for water companies.</p>

<p>Britons have expressed frustration over the plan as some of that cost will be passed onto customers through bills.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We're announcing the largest infrastructure programme in water company history to crack down on sewage spills and end pollution.<br />
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Read more about our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan: <a href="https://t.co/SaCTkksRGu">https://t.co/SaCTkksRGu</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EnvironmentAct?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EnvironmentAct</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sewage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sewage</a> <a href="https://t.co/4nBxtUGoOm">pic.twitter.com/4nBxtUGoOm</a></p>
— Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefraGovUK/status/1563139910525407232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>While untreated wastewater goes directly into watercourses or the sea, storm channels are conduits used during heavy rain to prevent sewers from becoming overfull.</p>

<p>Criticising the plan, 'The Rivers Trust' charity said it was "too little, too late" and environment spokesman for the Liberal Democratic Party Tim Farron called it a "cruel joke".</p>

<p>''You could argue that governments down the decades should have prioritised this,'' said environment secretary George Eustice.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>Watch WION's live TV here:</strong></p>

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After opposition parties and environmentalists slammed the measures as insufficient and costly for consumers, Britain's environment minister on Saturday defended government plans to tackle sewage releases into rivers and sea.

After opposition parties and environmentalists slammed the measures as insufficient and costly for consumers, Britain's environment minister on Saturday defended government plans to tackle sewage releases into rivers and sea. Prompting widespread horror among the public, recent discharges of sewage into popular river and sea bathing areas have caused activists to raise an alarm over waters shared with the European Union. Several members of parliament have complained to the European Commission about British sewage allegedly being poured into the bloc's water bodies. × Requiring them to invest £56 billion ($66 billion) over 25 years to improve infrastructure such as storm overflows, the UK government on Friday announced the "toughest targets ever" for water companies. Britons have expressed frustration over the plan as some of that cost will be passed onto customers through bills. We're announcing the largest infrastructure programme in water company history to crack down on sewage spills and end pollution. Read more about our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan: https://t.co/SaCTkksRGu#EnvironmentAct #Sewage pic.twitter.com/4nBxtUGoOm — Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) August 26, 2022 × While untreated wastewater goes directly into watercourses or the sea, storm channels are conduits used during heavy rain to prevent sewers from becoming overfull. Criticising the plan, 'The Rivers Trust' charity said it was "too little, too late" and environment spokesman for the Liberal Democratic Party Tim Farron called it a "cruel joke". ''You could argue that governments down the decades should have prioritised this,'' said environment secretary George Eustice. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Environmentalists slam British government for releasing sewage into rivers, sea

<p>After reports said a water treatment facility in Florida was targeted by&nbsp;<strong>ransomware</strong> earlier this year, US agencies reported wastewater&nbsp;plants were also targeted in California, Maine and Nevada this year.</p>

<p>The report was published jointly by the <strong>FBI</strong>, NSA, US cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency and the environmental protection agency.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-ransomware-killware-is-the-new-threat-top-us-security-official-explains-420458">Also Read:&nbsp;Not ransomware, 'killware' is the new threat, top US security official explains</a></p>

<p>"Malicious cyber actors used<strong> ghost variant</strong> ransomware against a California-based waster water facility," the joint advisory said.</p>

<p>The ransomware was reportedly "in the system for about a month and was discovered when three supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) servers displayed a ransomware message", the report claimed.</p>

<p>"Cyber actors used remote access to introduce <strong>ZuCaNo</strong> ransomware onto a Maine-based unit," it said. The US security agencies said an "unknown ransomware variant" attack had occurred at&nbsp;Nevada's wastewater system in March.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-govt-launches-website-to-help-ransomware-victims-398303">Also Read:&nbsp;US govt launches website to help ransomware victims</a></p>

<p>Last year officials at a <strong>New Jersey</strong>-based wastewater treatment facility had detected "Makop ransomware" had "compromised" files.</p>

<p>The report recommended a number of ways to detect and stop intended attacks including updating software due to increased use of remote operations amid the <strong>pandemic </strong>and implementing antivirus and antimalware programmes.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-warns-vladimir-putin-on-ransomware-attack-from-russia-397152">Also Read:&nbsp;Joe Biden warns Vladimir Putin on ransomware attack from Russia</a></p>

<p>The report also stated that the US government has a reward of up to $10 million on foreign government malicious activity against <strong>US infrastructure</strong>.</p>

<p>US treasury&nbsp;financial crimes enforcement network said, "If current trends continue, (reports) filed in 2021 are projected to have a higher ransomware-related transaction value than... filed in the previous 10 years combined."</p>

<p>According to the US treasury, $590 million in ransomware-related payments were reported to US authorities in the first half of the year showing the grave risk posed by ransomware.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from Agencies)</em></p>


After reports said a water treatment facility in Florida was targeted by ransomware earlier this year, US agencies reported wastewater plants were also targeted in California, Maine and Nevada this year.

After reports said a water treatment facility in Florida was targeted by ransomware earlier this year, US agencies reported wastewater plants were also targeted in California, Maine and Nevada this year. The report was published jointly by the FBI, NSA, US cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency and the environmental protection agency. Also Read: Not ransomware, 'killware' is the new threat, top US security official explains "Malicious cyber actors used ghost variant ransomware against a California-based waster water facility," the joint advisory said. The ransomware was reportedly "in the system for about a month and was discovered when three supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) servers displayed a ransomware message", the report claimed. "Cyber actors used remote access to introduce ZuCaNo ransomware onto a Maine-based unit," it said. The US security agencies said an "unknown ransomware variant" attack had occurred at Nevada's wastewater system in March. Also Read: US govt launches website to help ransomware victims Last year officials at a New Jersey-based wastewater treatment facility had detected "Makop ransomware" had "compromised" files. The report recommended a number of ways to detect and stop intended attacks including updating software due to increased use of remote operations amid the pandemic and implementing antivirus and antimalware programmes. Also Read: Joe Biden warns Vladimir Putin on ransomware attack from Russia The report also stated that the US government has a reward of up to $10 million on foreign government malicious activity against US infrastructure. US treasury financial crimes enforcement network said, "If current trends continue, (reports) filed in 2021 are projected to have a higher ransomware-related transaction value than... filed in the previous 10 years combined." According to the US treasury, $590 million in ransomware-related payments were reported to US authorities in the first half of the year showing the grave risk posed by ransomware. (With inputs from Agencies)

Ransomware attackers targeted water treatment plants: US security agencies

Amid fears of waste water reservoir overflowing in Tampa, authorities in Florida have declared an emergency and announced that they are making progress in preventing an environmental catastrophe to take place.

Florida declares state of emergency amid fears of waste water reservoir overflowing

Traces of COVID-19 can be successfully detected in sewage, helping to give health officials an early warning of local outbreaks of the virus, the British government said. A project, originally launched in June, has now proved that fragments of genetic material from the virus can be detected in waste water, indicating if a local community or institution is experiencing a spike in cases.

Sewage can reveal COVID outbreaks, UK project finds

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