As Parliament prepares to debate the Water Reform Bill, PAN UK joins over 40 organisations – representing more than 9 million supporters collectively – calling on the UK Government to deliver urgent changes.  

Just 14% of English rivers are in Good Ecological Condition.

Most water-dependent habitats in England’s protected wildlife sites are in an unfavourable state because of over-abstraction and pollution from agriculture, wastewater and chemicals. Wildlife like the Atlantic Salmon, the White-Clawed Crayfish and the European Eel face UK extinction, while species like the Burbot and Sturgeon are already lost. Millions of hours of sewage dumping have already put public health at risk, while floods and water shortages are mounting threats.

The current UK Government made “clean water” a mainstay of its manifesto and General Election campaign. Politicians recognised the ecological urgency and public demand for action. While some progress has been made, the Government has yet to commit to the ambitious reforms needed to restore the water environment to good health.

Richard Benwell, Chief Executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “For too long, weak regulation and political delay have allowed sewage, chemicals and agricultural pollution to pour into our rivers while wildlife declines and public trust drains away. The Water Reform Bill must fix the system at its roots, stop pollution at source and deliver real nature recovery – anything less would be a betrayal of people and the environment.”

A new report launches the Clean Water Now campaign and calls for action in the following key areas:

  • Stop the polluters − clamp down on sewage, restrict intensive agriculture and ban toxic chemical pollution.
  • Fix the system − stop water companies putting profit before people and nature.
  • Restore nature − create new natural habitats along rivers and coastlines.

Josie Cohen, Head of Policy & Campaigns at PAN UK said: “The UK’s waters are full of toxic pesticides. These chemicals are designed to kill living organisms, but they don’t discriminate and so are having terrible effects on aquatic species and ecosystems. At the last election, we saw quite how passionately the UK public wants clean rivers, lakes and seas. The current government was elected on the coattails of the public’s discontent. Now they need to put their money where their mouth is and support farmers to stop using pesticides known to contaminate water and harm aquatic species.”

Join us in taking action by emailing your MP and asking them to back strong, enforceable measures to deliver clean water.