12 Oct 2021

Listen at BBC Sounds Campaigners say the state of Britain’s rivers is worsening. Over half of them polluted by sewage. There’s also a problem with agricultural run-off and chemicals. What can we do? According to campaigners, Britain has some of the dirtiest rivers in Europe. Sewage, slurry from farms and chemicals are all a problem, […]

05 Oct 2021

From Water UK Water industry calls for a wave of bathing rivers as part of a new national plan to improve the health of English rivers Water companies want government, agriculture, and other sectors to come together and help create a series of bathing rivers across the country Research shows the many sources of pollution […]

28 Sep 2021

From Defra Over 3,000 hectares of new woodlands are set to be planted along England’s rivers and watercourses with backing from the country’s leading environmental organisations, Forestry Minister Lord Goldsmith announced today (Saturday 25 September). Planting trees on and around riverbanks, or allowing them to grow naturally, can help to improve water quality by blocking […]

21 Sep 2021

21 nature organisations are calling for urgent measures to help lift England’s rivers, lakes and streams from the bottom of the water quality league table, and warn that drastic action is needed to restore wildlife habitat. Every freshwater body in England currently fails chemical standards and only 16% are classed in good ecological health compared […]

21 Sep 2021

New report from RSPB, rivers Trust and National Trust reveals pollution is biggest threat to wildlife on our waterways Beautiful, freshwater habitats that are home to an abundance of wildlife are being devastated by agricultural waste, raw sewage and pollution from abandoned mines, according to a new report According to an online YouGov poll, 88% of those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland […]

21 Sep 2021

The Rivers Trust’s State of Our Rivers Report will, for the first time, allow every reader in England to understand the health of their local river and what they can do to improve it. Rivers are fundamental to our food and water security, the recovery of nature, and our resilience to the climate crisis. It is […]

10 Mar 2021

From University of Exeter Europeans spend more than £700 billion (€800bn) a year on recreational visits to water bodies – but perceived poor water quality costs almost £90 billion (€100bn) in lost visits, a new study has found.  The new research – led by a European collaboration involving the University of Exeter and the University […]

05 Jan 2021

From the Call for Evidence The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) is launching an inquiry into water quality in rivers. The EAC has previously inquired into nitrate pollution so this inquiry intends to focus on the water industry and urban diffuse pollution. Water quality has implications across the whole ecological system, from plant life to fish stocks to […]