27 Feb 2025
The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 has received Royal Assent, boosting the powers of water sector regulators to tackle pollution. This new legislation introduces enhanced powers for regulators to hold water companies accountable for their environmental impact, with particular focus on ensuring water company executives are penalised for failures. The Water (Special Measures) Act, which […]
11 Feb 2025
The newly-published EU Coastline Macro Litter Trend report found that the amount of marine macro litter (items bigger than 2.5 cm) in the EU coastline has dropped by 29 % between the baseline period (2015-2016) and the assessment period (2020-2021). While the largest reduction in terms of percentages is seen at the Baltic Sea (45%), […]
06 Feb 2025
A new research article in Nature highlights “widespread tactics of disinformation, greenwashing and manufacturing doubt…” used by water companies. It argues that “the financial exploitation of water resources in England, alongside long-term degradation of infrastructure and ineffective regulation, raises globally important issues around water security, ethics and environmental stewardship. Much greater scrutiny of both industry […]
22 Jan 2025
A cross-border investigation by Unearthed into forever chemicals was released this week, turning up a number of interesting findings into a toxic chemicals crisis we’re only beginning to understand. The reporting effort – 46 journalists and 18 experts across 16 countries – has so far detailed the jaw-dropping cost of cleaning up these toxic forever […]
22 Jan 2025
A new analysis of 625 studies from 63 countries shows that the global expansion of built-up areas has fundamentally degraded water quality across the globe and suggests increases in forest cover can help reduce water pollution risks. Photo credit: Adam Sondel In recent decades the world’s landscapes have experienced profound changes, mainly due […]
31 Dec 2024
An investigation by The Guardian has found that Thames Water intentionally diverted millions of pounds pledged for environmental clean-ups towards other costs including bonuses and dividends. The company, which serves more than 16 million customers, cut the funds after senior managers assessed the potential risks of such a move. Discussions – held in secret – […]
31 Dec 2024
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has concluded that there have been failures to comply with environmental law by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat following an investigation into the regulation of network combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The OEP has sent each of the public authorities […]
31 Dec 2024
According to a Watershed Investigation, bathing waters across the UK are awash with pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, harmful bacteria and genes that can create superbugs resistant to antibiotics, including medicines used as a last line of defence. In collaboration with the University of York, citizen scientists and Surfers Against Sewage, hundreds of samples were taken […]
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