We should be outraged in the UK about the quality of our water, from sewage being dumped in lakes, rivers and seas. Indeed, we are at the bottom of the leaderboard when it comes to the cleanliness of our bathing waters. While the EU has strengthened its environmental protections, the UK has drifted away from those
Almost 4,000 people in England and Wales are taking legal action over what they allege is six years of sewage pollution that has devastated three rivers, including the Wye. In the largest environmental group action of recent times, 3,943 residents and business owners are seeking substantial damages from Welsh Water and the leading chicken producers Avara Foods Ltd and
Sewage discharge into rivers in the UK has a significant impact on nutrient levels, leading to high nutrient concentrations and detrimental effects. In the UK, nutrient levels in rivers are primarily influenced by human activities, particularly agriculture and treated and untreated sewage. Key nutrients include nitrogen and phosphorus, which are essential for plant growth but
The public has paid almost £200bn to the shareholders who own key British industries since they were privatised, research reveals. The transfer of tens of billions of pounds to the owners of the privatised water, rail, bus, energy and mail services comes as families face soaring bills, polluted rivers and seas, and expensive and unreliable
The privatised water industry is rubbing its hands with glee, because reservoirs appear as assets on their books, and therefore increase the value of the companies. It might seem strange that, on an island renowned for its drizzle, we should find ourselves hit once again by water shortages, but this should not really come as
From dirty water to wildlife protections, the environmental cost of Brexit only gets higher We are outraged in the UK about the quality of our water, from sewage being dumped in lakes, rivers and seas. Indeed, we are at the bottom of the leaderboard when it comes to the cleanliness of our bathing waters.
Is the UK’s infrastructure ready for climate change, with periods of dry weather becoming more common as a result of the climate crisis? No new reservoir has been built in the UK since 1992, shortly after water companies were privatised. While there are some plans to build new reservoirs these are not expected to be
Only 1% of water companies’ actions to improve environmental performance, such as improving sewer overflows, have been inspected by the Environment Agency, the authors of the NAO report said. They also found there was no regulator responsible for proactively inspecting wastewater assets to prevent further environmental harm.
The average bill will go up 36% but how much extra billpayers will be charged depends on what part of England or Wales you live in, and which water company supplies you. The sums are below what the firms had requested but not far off. In 2023 there were over 582,000 discharges of untreated sewage into UK rivers, totalling
Healthy rivers are vital. They are a powerful ally in combating climate change, they support a wealth of biodiversity, and they benefit our physical and mental wellbeing….