An external filter, retrofitted to your washing machine, is an immediate way of stopping microfibres going down the drain. Guardian lifestyle piece You might not know it, but installing a washing machine filter might be one of the simplest defences against microplastics entering the ocean. Scientists estimate there are 14m tonnes of microplastic on the ocean floor, and a […]
As reported in last week’s news, Water UK has apologised on behalf of English water companies for sewage in rivers and announced a plan to: Triple investment to £10bn in the next five year period (subject to regulatory approval) to cut sewage overflows by up to 140,000 each year compared to the level in 2020. […]
Ministers were warned about the dangers of private equity taking over the water industry in a briefing that has been kept secret for 20 years, according to the Guardian. Details of the analysis are still being withheld as sewage pollution and the failure of water companies to invest in infrastructure are under national scrutiny. On […]
In a new paper, Time to pull the plug on the water privatisation model, Professor Sir Dieter Helm says the current water model needs an overhaul: “The sheer scale of public anger is a once-in-a-30-year opportunity to put it right, reform properly and create a new model that lasts,” he said. He calls for: A […]
Farmers could soon be reimbursed for creating water storage ponds or water “batteries” as part of an innovative drought-prevention project that has today received funding from Ofwat’s Innovation Fund. With droughts affecting the UK for much of last summer, the project, from Westcountry Rivers Trust and South West Water, will not only contribute to better […]
The Rivers Trust will co-lead an innovative new project working to remove barriers and develop new enabling mechanisms for the adoption of nature-based solutions at a catchment scale. The project has been officially announced, thanks to a successful bid to the Ofwat Innovation Fund, led by The Rivers Trust, United Utilities, Jacobs, and Mott Macdonald. […]
The DWI (Drinking Water Inspectorate) has published its review of the December 2022 freeze-thaw incident. It finds that companies have improved on their performance from the 2018 freeze-thaw but require further improvements in their planning, resourcing and response. The watchdog made a series of recommendations and suggestions to the industry. It said it was considering […]
BBC Travel piece Few visitors know that London has 640km of waterways – and there’s a serious movement taking place to restore these “blue corridors” to their former glory. Though most visitors to London think only of the River Thames, the city is a myriad of waterways. Old maps show a skein of rivers and […]