There has been a lot of press lately concerning the pollution of our rivers. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee on Water Quality in Rivers stated on 13 January 2022 that “only 14% of rivers in England can currently claim to have good ecological status. The Government is not on track to meet the Water Framework Directive requirement— subsequently transposed into UK law—for all rivers to reach good status by 2027”.
The Environment Agency says: “There are multiple influences on river water quality in England. To make significant improvements will require investment from the water and farming industries and individual behaviour changes. We must continue to tackle a legacy of Victorian drainage systems, historic lack of capital investment in agriculture, sewerage and road infrastructure, and insufficient maintenance of that infrastructure. […] The changing climate and growing population make targets harder to reach.”
We can all help by reporting any incidents of water pollution we see to the Environment Agency. The number of Environment Agency staff has been systemically reduced by successive governments so public reporting can really help highlight where problems are and focus the limited Environment Agency resources.
Often, water pollution issues are only visible for a very short period of time before they are washed downstream, so you may be the only one that sees it.
If you see something in the river you think isn’t right, this can be reported on the 24-hour Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60. It’s best to report it straight away. Ideally you need to state the location of the issue and when you saw it. You can download free apps that give accurate grid references like OS Locate, or what3words. You’ll need to describe the problem; what colour is the water? Is it cloudy? Does it have a smell? How far into the river did it extend? If you can, take photos or video.
Water issues can also be reported to Anglian Water either online or on 03457 145 145.